Starlight
by SwarthyWarthog
Summary: ZOMBIES:All is well in Seabrook, as the integration of zombies and werewolves continues. But after a meteor crashes in Zombietown, things start getting weird. Suddenly, Addison gains the ability to feel and manipulate the emotions of others. Oh, and she can read Zed's mind. Meanwhile, the werewolves begin to see strange beings roaming the forest, with glowing white hair.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Hey everyone! Sorry for the multiple updates in the last day or so to this first chapter. This is my first time publishing one of my fics on here, so please bare with me as I try to figure out exactly how to do this stuff, lol. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review!

Chapter 1

Zed was awakened by the gentle but persistent sensation that the entire bed was gently shaking.

No, not the bed, the whole room.

What?

He struggled with unconsciousness, currently absorbed in a very pleasant dream. In his dream, they were all back at the power plant, having what seemed like the most epic Zombie Mash ever. The lights were flashing vibrantly, bright splashes of color dancing across the old metal and brick walls, as he and his friends moved joyously to the music. Eliza was there in her booth, high above the crowd with a rare but genuine smile across her face as she worked the sound system.

Bonzo was with Bree, both of them completely absorbed with one another as they swayed together. Bonzo moved with a sudden flourish, launching his girlfriend into the air with a grace that would shock anyone who didn't know them as a couple. While some might look at them in the school cafeteria and consider them somewhat awkward, they were honestly both very talented and athletic. Bree landed in his waiting arms, embracing him and laughing as the crowd around them applauded and cheered.

Moving closer to the center of the large dance floor, Zed turned away from his friends in search of his favorite person. He found her almost immediately. Addison was there at the center of all the commotion, looking absolutely radiant as she twirled, her beautiful white hair twisting in delicate waves over her face and shoulders as she swung. Suddenly, she seemed to spot him coming towards her in the crowd. She looked at him and smiled, and he felt his barely-beating heart flutter in his chest as he moved towards her.

Whenever he saw her, whether in dreams or in real life, it was always as though everything faded away into the background. The pull she had towards him was irresistible, not that resisting was ever something he wanted to do. When Zed was with Addy, he was the happiest zombie in existence. It was like she was the center of the whole universe.

Well, she was certainly the center of HIS whole universe, and he was completely fine with that.

As he walked towards her, the power plant began to tremble slightly. Zed frowned, looking up towards the ceiling as everything began to blur and darken around him. The music became garbled and filled with static, like a radio that wasn't quite tuned in correctly.

He felt panic rise up in his throat as he jerked his attention back to Addison, who was now standing alone, looking towards him, confused and perhaps a little bit concerned. He raced towards her, but suddenly felt as though he were walking through quicksand. As he continued to trudge towards her, he began to notice something.

Her hair.

It was... glowing?

Just a shimmer at first, but as he crawled closer, the glow become brighter; a beautiful, illuminating halo of hair framing her face, almost bluish in its intensity. The tremors increased, causing him to stumble. Only a few steps away now, he gasped at the intense light, flowing from her hair around her face like a miniature, white-hot sun. Wincing, Zed raised a hand to shield his vision as he approached.

Abruptly, the tremors around them ceased, and all became became quiet and still.

Still gasping for breath, he jumped slightly in surprise as he felt Addison's hand gently touch his hand, pulling it slowly away from his eyes. The glow was muted now; a calm, icey blue light softly radiating outwards. He looked at her, as she stared back with confusion still present within her eyes. She didn't seem to understand why he was so distressed. Carefully, Zed reached forward and brushed a lock away from the side of her face, holding it up to her for inspection.

A crease appeared between her brows as she furrowed them, an even more perplexed expression now spreading across her features. She blinked, as though testing her eyes to make sure she was really seeing what she thought she was. Even amid his own concern, Zed didn't fail to notice how absurdly adorable she looked in that moment. She met his eyes, her confused expression realigning itself into a soft grin.

"Weird." She whispered.

Zed gasped, bolting upright and immediately rolling out of his bed in a tangled mess of sheets. He hit the floor with an uncomfortable and loud thud. He groaned, groggily shifting from side to side, as he attempted to orient himself in the nearly-dark room. As he freed himself from his 300-thread count prison, he hastily reached up to grab his phone to check the time.

It was about twenty minutes until midnight.

Should he call her? He definitely didn't want to wake her up over some random dream. Addison worked ridiculously hard in cheer, not to mention all she did to promote equality for all of her friends on a daily basis. The poor girl deserved all the rest she could get. But still, his pulse continued to jump erratically, and his hands shook slightly as he contemplated his next move, thumb freezing right above the button that would call and awaken her.

Abruptly, he became aware of a commotion outside his bedroom window. A muted bluish light seeped in through the curtains, as he heard panicked shouts coming from the street. He clambered upright, running to the window and nearly tearing the curtains from the wall in his haste. The scene below was absolute pandemonium.

As he watched, several zombies were running frantically up the road, away from what appeared to be a large hole in the center of the street just north of his house. The hole, jagged and irregular in shape, seemed to be about the size of a school bus. It was spewing out plumes of dark smoke, and the flickers of small fires danced about the surrounding homes.

The Unification Gate was in ruins, having apparently just been destroyed by whatever had caused the chaos currently unfolding below him. As it burned, the screaming and shouting became more pronounced. While the houses in this neighborhood were brick, he realized that some of the roofs were now catching fire. The screams and shouts became more pronounced. It was still a common generalization that zombies did not handle fire well. His people has certainly come a long way, but the fear was still palpable as he watched them scurrying below. His stomach suddenly felt as though it were filled with lead.

This was not good.

What was happening?

"ZED!"

Zoey's terrified cry snapped him out of his stupor. He immediately dropped his phone, running from the window in the direction of his little sister's bedroom. As the phone slipped from his hands, his thumb gently brushed the "call" button. Zed's footsteps pounded out of the room, the phone ringing quietly as it landed among the pillows and sheets on his floor.

ZzZzZzZ

"Weird."

Addison stared at her alarm clock, squinting through blurry, sleep filled eyes as the radio buzzed on and off. She couldn't remember the old clock radio at her bedside ever acting up like that. Now the static and music fluctuated back and forth, as though an invisible hand were playing with the knobs, trying to find the right station but having no luck.

As the light of the clock face flickered, she noted that it was about 11:40 pm.

Sighing, she sat up in bed, slightly more awake, and brushed her frizzy hair away from her face. While she wasn't exactly scared being awakened by a malfunctioning alarm clock, she wasn't exactly comforted by it either. In fact, it was honestly a bit unsettling. A little like something out of an old horror movie. She glanced to the vacant pillow beside her and sighed again.

On occasion, when her parents were asleep, Zed would sneak out of his house and climb through her window, just to spend a few hours with her. They would spend half the night cuddling, giggling and talking, relishing in their time together. Seeing his dark eyes gazing back at her through the filtered moonlight of her windows always made her feel incredibly safe and loved. She really wished he was here now.

But it was way too late to call him. He was always busy, either working with the football team, spending time with his friends, or watching his little sister, Zoey. The poor guy deserved all of the rest he could get. Besides, it would be so silly to call him just to tell him that her alarm clock was acting up. She rotated to her side, beginning to lie back down , when she noticed a soft glow emanating from her window.

Brow furrowed, she slowly rolled out of her bed and quietly tiptoed over. Behind the houses across the street, in the direction of the Unification Gate and Zombietown, a strange orange glow pulsated gently. After a few seconds, she suddenly recognized the undulating columns of smoke rising into the sky. There was a fire in Zombietown. A big one.

She gasped as her phone rang, her cheery ringtone startlingly loud in the quiet darkness of her room. She rushed to her bedside table to grab it, quickly reading Zed's name on the screen as she pressed the "answer" button.

"Zed?!" She yelped, her concern growing larger by the millisecond.

"Zed, baby, what's going on? Are you okay?"

She waited, but there was no response from the other end of the line.

"Zed? Are you there?"

Silence.

Then, as she pressed her ear closer to the phone, she heard the sounds of muffled shouting.

The sound of distant footsteps grew slightly louder and then faded away again. She listened harder, the sound of her now pounding heartbeat threatening to drown of anything on the other end of the phone. She heard Zed's voice shouting something, though too far away to hear what he was saying.

Then, she heard the muted sound of a child screaming.

Zoey.

Addison punched the button to end the call, and instantly catapulted herself towards her closet to grab her shoes. Seizing the first pair she saw, her white cheerleading sneakers, she shoved her feet into them with panicked haste. Clad in her pink tank top and mighty shrimp-printed pajama pants, she bolted down the stairs and towards the front door. As she ran, she shouted out to her parents that there was a fire in Zombietown and to call for help. She barely registered her dad, hair disheveled, poking his head out of their bedroom door as she snatched up her mom's car keys and fled from the house.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: I wanted to go ahead and put this next chapter out. My apologies if there are some typos.

I have been up working all night, but I was so excited about this chapter I decided to go ahead and post it. I will correct any mistakes later this afternoon. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review!

Chapter 2 

"Zoey! I'm coming!"

Zed skidded out of his doorway, bashing his shoulder into the door frame and nearly shattering it as he ran towards Zoey's bedroom. He had always felt an almost primal urge to protect his sister, nearly paternal in its intensity. Since losing their mom a few years back, he had truly grown to care for Zoey almost as though she was his own child, rather than just his little sister.

He could now smell the distinct scent of smoke beginning to permeate their home. Puppy's barks echoed down the hall, alerting them all to the danger that they were in. He felt the vibration of more footsteps behind him as his dad pounded his feet up the creaking stairs and into the upstairs hallway.

"Kids!" Zevon gasped as both men rounded the short corridor into Zoey's room.

"Zed! Daddy!" Zoey screeched, still in her bed holding onto her blanket for dear life. Puppy continued to bark, pacing restlessly around the room. Already, it was growing hazy as smoke filled the air in the tiny space. His dad quickly surpassed him and reached out, grabbing Zoey up in her bundle of blankets.

"Come on, my little zombie angel, we have to go." Zevon stated in a misleadingly calm tone.

"Puppy! We have to get Puppy!" Zoey yelled.

"I've got him," said Zed, attempting to emulate his dad's composed features.

He rushed over to Puppy, scooping up the dog as Zevon rushed Zoey out of the bedroom and towards the stairs.

"Come on, son, let's go!"

Spinning back to face the door, Zed suddenly paused as he passed the framed picture of their family mounted on the wall. It was an old family photo; one of the last ones they took with their mom. She smiled contentedly back at him, holding both he and Zoey close as their dad enveloped all of them in his arms. They all looked completely happy, none of them knowing what was coming.

It was one of his favorite photos of her.

Hastily, he reached out, snatching up the photo and tucking it to his chest, fleeing from the room. He descended the stairs at a fast pace, taking them two steps at a time. He passed through the kitchen and tiny entryway, his heart clenching painfully as he ran by the old Formica table with its mismatched chairs. So many memories had been made at that little table, and he feared that this might well be the last time he ever saw it. But there was no time to dwell on it as the increasingly thick smoke began to burn his nose and make his eyes water. He ran out the front door, practically leaping off of the stoop and towards the street in front of the house.

It was complete bedlam outside. His neighbors were frantically rushing up and down the sidewalks in their attempt to flee the area, while others tried to ensure that the residences were being evacuated. He jerked his head from side to side, surveying the damage. Several houses were now burning, including his own. Across the way, he saw flames scorching the roof of Bonzo's home. _Oh no_.

He clutched Puppy more tightly to his chest. Despite clearly being distressed, the dog raised its head, licking Zed's chin affectionately. He caught up to his dad and Zoey in the street, breathing in huge gulps of fresh air as he approached. Together, they sprinted down the street, away from the flames. Zed turned a few houses down, quickly running up the front steps to Eliza's house.

The door opened before he could knock. Eliza stood in the entryway, eyes as wide as saucers and her frame tensed as though she was ready to jump out of her skin at any moment.

"Eliza, can you watch Zoey and Puppy?" Zed asked, as the dog wriggled restlessly in his grip. "We have to try to help."

"I'm coming with you!" Eliza responded, already grabbing her jacket from the coat rack in their entryway.

Eliza's mom appeared behind her, hurriedly scooping Zoey up from Zevon and into her own embrace.

"I've got them," Ziporah stated, as she reached out and took Puppy into her other arm.

"Be careful!" She yelled as Eliza and Zevon retreated back down the steps. Zoey let out a soft cry as the door shut. Zed quickly but carefully propped the photograph he was carrying against the porch railing, and followed them back into the road.

He could now hear the distant sound of sirens approaching as he ran towards Bonzo's house.

Their house was even closer than Zed's to the source of the flames, and the rooftop was already fully ablaze. He could hear muffled shouts coming from inside, recognizing them as Bonzo's mother. As he watched, she burst through the front door, coughing and spluttering as smoke rolled out after her. While zombies had a much higher tolerance to breathing hazardous things than humans, they were certainly not immune to the effects of smoke inhalation. And fire was still deadly.

"Help!" She screamed in English, as she staggered into the road.

"Bonzka zarg grodzide!" _Bonzo's still inside!_

Zed reacted instantly, not even hearing the shouts of protest from his father and Eliza as he rushed into the burning home.

Inside, it was eerily dark, the smoke rippling along the ceilings as he bounded through the living room. He coughed, crouching low to the floor in order to try and escape the pervasive smoke as he called out for his friend.

"Bonzo! BONZO!" He bellowed.

In response, he heard a wordless cry of terror coming from somewhere up the stairs. Now he just needed to figure out how to get there. Still crouched low, he hurriedly made his way towards his friend, eyes now watery with irritation from the smoke. Though he had been in this house a thousand times, the thick haze and the thrum of adrenaline through his veins made the structure seem almost unrecognizable. It took what felt like ages to find the stairs, and to make his way into the upstairs hall.

He dropped fully into a crawl as he crossed the threshold into his friends bedroom.

Bonzo was huddled in the far corner, tears flowing in silent rivulets down his now sooty face. He seemed nearly catatonic with fear. Zed approached him, now coughing more heavily as he reached his friend and latched onto his arm.

"Bonzo! Come on buddy, we've got to go."

Bonzo made no attempt to move or respond. Zed shook him, trying desperately to get his friend to snap out of his panic-induced state. They were both coughing now. He was pretty sure a human would have already been unconscious at this point.

"Bonzo, come on! We have to get out NOW!" Zed nearly screamed, voice cracking as he attempted unsuccessfully to pull his friend towards the door. His friend was way bigger and heaver than he was, though, and Zed's efforts failed to shift him towards the exit even an inch. Bonzo was completely insensible, totally consumed by his own fear. Above them, flames licked languidly across the ceiling, parts of the wallpaper now catching fire and trailing down towards the floor. Zed's lungs felt as though he were physically breathing in the flames, not just smoke.

With a sound like an explosion, a section of the ceiling suddenly collapsed behind him, engulfing the doorway in roaring orange flames. Zed cried out, trying to shield his head from the debris. He winced as searing chunks of wood rained down, burning his arms and the back of his head as he ducked down. Bonzo curled his arms around himself more tightly, but still made no attempt to move or escape.

And now, the only exit was blocked.

The fire was spreading rapidly across the carpet, the desk by the doorway quickly going up in flames. He watched as Bonzo's multiple sketches and paintings along the wall began to combust. Zed's coughing worsened, and everything was now almost completely shrouded in smoke and the unrelenting flickering of fire. He was starting to feel extremely lightheaded, and he was pretty sure that was not a good sign.

This was it.

They were not going to make it.

Zed grasped onto Bonzo's arm, feeling panic creeping up inside him.

He glanced back towards the door, wincing from the burns and bruising to his arms and the back of his head. The doorway was a wall of flame now, and there was absolutely no way that Zed could hope to budge his friend, even if they could manage to get through.

Unless...

Zed's eyes widened as he glanced down, looking at the dull green glow of the screen on his z-band. 

ZzZzZzZ 

The engine hummed quietly, despite the fact that Addison was driving ridiculously fast as she raced towards Zombietown. Most of the vehicles in Seabrook were eco-friendly, including Mayor Missy's tiny car. Addison usually preferred to walk, enjoying the feeling of being outside and relishing in the juxtaposition between her prim and proper neighborhood and the eclectic, comfy feeling of Zed's. But there was no time to waste now, and she sped through the rows of houses without even seeing them.

As she approached Zombie town, she gasped as she noted the ruined Unification Gate. It was a twisted mess of metal and scorched brick. Whatever had happened had caused a heat so intense that the metal had actually melted in places. Nearby, there was now a gigantic, jagged crater in the ground where the street had been. Smoke billowed forth from it, obscuring anything from view that might explain what had happened. Had there been some kind of explosion?

Driving past the ruined gate, she roughly parked the car, not bothering to close the door as she ran from the vehicle. As she approached Zed's house, she felt her heart constrict painfully. The top section of the structure was nearly covered in flames. Fear spread through her veins like ice, as she considered the possibility that they might be trapped inside.

Steeling herself, she began to trudge forward, determined to find Zed, even if that meant entering a burning building.

"ADDISON!" Eliza yelled from up the street, running forward to reach her.

Addison turned, sprinting to meet her in the center of the street.

Eliza grasped Addison's shoulder, her large eyes filled with a thinly veiled panic.

"Eliza, I have to go in there, Zed might need help!"

"He isn't in there," Eliza stated, "They all got out."

Addison felt relief spread throughout her limbs, letting out a soft cry of relief.

"Thank goodness!" She breathed.

"Where is he?"

Eliza said nothing.

"Eliza?"

Addison suddenly noticed the tears brimming around Eliza's eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. Eliza was the strongest person that she knew, and seeing her at the point of tears made Addison feel suddenly cold inside.

"Eliza, where is Zed?"

More silence.

"Eliza! TELL me!"

Eliza exhaled shakily.

"He's in Bonzo's house. He went in after him."

They both turned to face Bonzo's home.

The rooftop was completely engulfed. It looked as though part of it had already begun to cave in, precisely above where Bonzo's room sat. Addison's breath caught in her throat in a choked gasp. In front of the home, she could see Zevon and a few other zombies watching with horrified expressions as the flames burned on.

In unison, both girls rushed to join them in their vigil.

For a moment, they all stood together, unable to do anything but watch, as the distant sound of sirens gradually grew louder.

The silence seemed to stretch out before Addison endlessly, panic and fear preventing her from formulating any solid thought.

Then, from within the house, there was a loud, unhuman roar.

Suddenly, the window to Bonzo's room seemed to explode. Glass and bits of wood sprayed out into the air above them in a strangely graceful arc, glittering as they reflected the lights of the fire behind them.

Zed was flying through the air, holding the limp form of Bonzo in his arms as he jumped from the second story of the house. He landed squarely on his feet, roaring again. For a moment, the two looked ridiculously like figures in a comic book, the heroic superhero holding a fainting damsel in distress. Zed was in full zombie form, eyes darkened and red as black and grey veins pulsed angrily across his arms and face.

He chuffed, sounding like an exhausted lion, and his knees abruptly buckled.

The z-band that had been grasped tightly in his hand clattered to the pavement next to him as he carefully lowered Bonzo to the ground. In her peripheral vision, she noted Eliza and another zombie rushing forward to tend to the unconscious Bonzo.

Addison rushed forward to her boyfriend, her own knees scraping painfully into the hard ground as shards of glass embedded themselves into her skin.

"Zed," she breathed as he collapsed forward into her arms.

She quickly scooped up the z-band, afraid that rescue workers would be afraid to help him in his present state. She deftly placed it across his wrist, reattaching it with a click.

He gasped, his limbs spasming as the black veins rapidly receded and his skin returned to it's normal pinkish-grey. She shifted, moving him so that his head could rest in her lap. She was vaguely aware of his dad crouching on her other side, leaning in to examine his son. Zed's shirt was in tatters, and she was horrified to see multiple burns and cuts to his arms and shoulders. A deep laceration was on his forehead, blood trickling sluggishly down his face.

Zed looked up at her, grinning lazily with slightly unfocused eyes as he reached up to touch her white hair.

"Hey, Ad..."

His voice suddenly trailed off.

Zed's eyes rolled back, his entire form suddenly relaxing as his hand dropped from beside her face.

Addison shook him gently by the shoulders.

"Zed? _Zed!_"

He was unconscious.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note:

I couldn't sleep, so I decided to make productive use of my time by punching out a few more chapters! Hope you enjoy it, and please leave a review. They totally make my day!

Chapter 3

Addison watched numbly as the ambulance doors closed.

Zed was tucked safely inside with his dad riding along as it drove away, lights flashing and sirens wailing. She had desperately wanted to go, but knew that it made more sense for his dad to go with him while she followed behind in her car. Another ambulance had already left with Bonzo and his mother. They were both being taken to Seabrook Medical, which had a separate unit of the hospital specializing in caring for zombie patients. Addison and Eliza walked briskly to the car, both with matching facial expressions of shock and concern.

Around them, the firefighters were gradually getting the flames under control. The damage, however, had already been done. About half a dozen homes had been badly damaged, including Bonzo's. Others, like Zed's family home, had not been hit as hard. But in any case, this section of Zombietown was now in shambles. Addison glanced to her friend as they climbed into the car, watching as a lone tear trickled down Eliza's face. Addison quickly started the car, steering it in the direction of the hospital across town.

For a moment, they sat in silence, trying to absorb everything that had happened.

About half an hour earlier, she had still been asleep. Now, Addison's whole life felt upended.

There was a painful weight settling in her chest, as she tried to tell herself that Zed and Bonzo would both be okay. They were both zombies. They were strong and tough and had an added bonus of healing way faster than humans. Plus, they had friends and family to support them. Zed had Addison. And Bonzo had-

"Oh my gosh, Bree!"

Eliza's head snapped towards Addison as she suddenly jerked the steering wheel in the direction of Bree's house.

"Oh my gosh, Bree doesn't know! Eliza, we have to get her, she needs to be with Bonzo!"

Eliza, ever efficient, instantly pulled out her cell phone, quickly tapping the screen and calling their friend. Addison drove as she listened to the clipped, one sided conversation.

"Bree. It's Eliza, we'll be at your house in five minutes. Bonzo is on his way to the hospital."

A short, high pitched "What!-" squeaked out of the speaker as Eliza shoved her thumb against the "end call" button and stared wide-eyed out the window. A short, choked sob escaped her throat.

"Hey," said Addison, reaching over to gently touch her friend's shoulder.

"I— they— I can't handle it if something happens to those guys," Eliza gasped.

"We've been friends our whole lives; we were in diapers together. They're like my brothers, Ads."

Another tear flowed traitorously down her cheek as she angrily wiped it away. Addison knew that Eliza prided herself on being a strong, emotionally invulnerable zombie. To Eliza, showing emotion in such a way was an indication of weakness.

"Hey," Addison said comfortingly. "Liz."

Eliza turned towards her.

"It is going to be okay," Addison said, though she was saying this to convince herself just as much as she was her friend. "They are both strong as heck, and have super-fast healing 'Z' powers on their side."

She watched as Eliza instantly stopped shaking, a much more peaceful expression suddenly crossing her face as Addison continued. "Plus, most importantly, they have us. We've got this." She breathed, almost smiling softly as she realized that in that moment, she actually believed what she was saying.

Eliza released a huge breath, looking back at hear for a short second and nodding once.

"... Yeah. Yeah, you're right. We've definitely got this." Eliza agreed, nodding again to emphasize her agreement.

"We've got this." Addison said again, repeating it like a mantra. She pulled up in front of Bree's house, honking the car once to let her know that they were there. They watched together as the door flew open. A disheveled and clearly distressed Bree came tumbling out, her hair sticking out at bizarre- looking angles. She, too, was clad in mighty shrimp pajama pants. As she rushed to the vehicle, Eilza quickly leaned back and opened the back passenger door. Bree slid in, immediately beginning a barrage of hysterical questions as Addison backed out of the driveway and drove towards the hospital.

_We've got this_. Addison repeated in her head, willing it to be true.

_We've got this._

ZzZzZzZz

Willa inhaled deeply as she rocketed through the woods, leaping gracefully over rocks and through dense thickets of trees. The acrid sting of smoke and panic filled her nostrils as she ran, her pack mates Wyatt and Wynter close on her heels.

They had been out hunting together when they had seen it.

In the sky, a sudden, blinding streak of light had scorched through the sky, burning across the atmosphere above them. But not the small, distant flash of an ordinary falling star. Living among nature as they did, falling stars were an enjoyable but common sight for the wolves. This one was too close, though, roaring audibly overhead as it fell in the direction of Zombietown.

Willa picked up her pace, smelling the distant reek of panic and fear.

She felt her already fast heart rate quicken as she considered what might currently be unfolding in the neighborhood of her new friends. Zed, Eliza and the others had become so dear to her and the pack in such a short amount of time. When they had first approached Addison, Wyatt believing she was the alpha, they had no idea how much their lives would change, and how big their family circle would become.

While things had not gone smooth initially, the zombies and humans had surprised her with their kindness and acceptance, celebrating all of their differences rather than hating them for it. Were or not, Addison and the others had managed to win them over with their kindness and unanticipated acceptance.

Eliza, especially, had surprised Willa, with her bravery and refusal to be anything but proud of her monstrous heritage. Before meeting Eliza, Willa had always pictured the zombies of Seabrook as weak; confined by the oppressive z-bands that prevented them from grasping their full potential.

But Eliza was different; wholly unapologetic for who and what she was.

At the Prawn, when Wyatt had helped her remove her z-band briefly, she had watched Eliza as her eyes darkened and her veins blackened across her skin, a breathtaking, uninhibited smile spreading across her features.

She was absolutely beautiful.

To her embarrassment, Willa felt warmth rush to her cheeks as she pictured her. But now was not the time to dwell on that.

Right now, she was mainly focused on making sure that her zombie was okay.

No, not her zombie.

_She doesn't _belong_ to you. Bad wolf._

While they had been spending a lot of time together lately, reading history books, discussing monster rights and exploring the woods together, Willa had yet to tell Eliza how she felt about her. In wolf society, her people mated for life. As long as she had remembered, she had never felt anything close to love with any of her fellow wolves. Yet somehow, for the first time ever, her heart had become light and fluttery in the presence of a zombie. A_ zombie_. Eliza wasn't even her own kind! Falling for a being of a different species was not something Willa had ever considered or anticipated, but the draw was real and irrefutable. Conventional or not,she couldn't deny the fact that she wanted Eliza as her mate, and the fact that it was crazy just wasn't that important anymore. If she was being honest with herself, it was too late to change her mind. She was already head over heels for the beautiful and strong zombie.

_When the time is right_, Willa had often thought, as she'd looked into Eliza's black, rose-rimed eyes. _I'll tell her when the time is right_.

As the scent of smoke grew stronger, she suddenly feared that their time might already be up.

In the distance, they could now see fire blazing over Zombietown, precisely where she knew their friends lived.

"Willa," Wyatt spoke easily, as they jumped across a small stream.

"I'm sure she's fine. Don't worry, we'll make sure that they're all okay."

Willa sped up slightly, blush deepening as she fought the immediate impulse to hit her brother for always being able to figure out what she was thinking.

She had always worked to retain the appearance of strength and unflappability, especially the presence of her pack. Was she really such an open book now?

Ugh. Love was disgusting. And wonderful. And awful.

"Thanks, brother."

The sound of sirens echoed eerily through the trees as they approached the clearing, the crest of a sloping, round hill that led down into Seabrook. As they reached the town, they could now clearly see the destruction unfolding in Zombietown. Columns of smoke undulated into the night sky, obscuring the moonlight over the neighborhood as they sped down the hill. Willa yipped in distress, the sharp barks of alarm immediately echoed by Wyatt and Wynter as they ran. In minutes, they had reached the burning street, more ululations escaping their vocal cords as they rounded the block to Eliza's house.

Willa took a second to feel relief that Eliza's home seemed to have been spared, though as she looked up and down the street, the same could not be said for many of their other friends. With a distinctly canine-sounding whimper, Wynter surveyed the damage behind them as Willa tapped on the glass pane of the wooden door. She watched through the window as Eliza's mother approached, a small dog cowering behind her and barking.

"Willa," Ziporah said, emotion causing her voice to wobble slightly as she surveyed the three werewolves on her stoop.

"Mrs. Zambie," Willa said, glancing over the older woman's shoulder and trying to sniff out the familiar, almost floral scent that was distinctly Eliza, but not sensing her within the home.

"Is Eliza alright? What can we do to help?"

Mrs. Zambie sighed, shaking her head.

"Eliza's fine. But Zed and Bonzo may not be. They are all on the way to the hospital right now. You should be able to find them there. I have Zoey and Puppy here with me."

Willa nodded.

"Wynter, stay and help Mrs. Zambie any way you can. Zoey loves you, so you can help keep her calm. Wyatt and I will make sure the homes are all evacuated before we go to the hospital."

Wynter nodded, crossing the threshhold and hugging Eliza's mom as Willa and Wyatt retreated back to the sidewalk. They were already speeding up, preparing to break into a run towards Seabrook Medical, when Willa felt her necklace jump against her neck, as though suddenly surging with power. Alarmed, she looked over to Wyatt, seeing a mirror of her own confusion reflecting back at her from his face.

Together, they slowly turned, looking down the street in the direction of the crater.

Willa felt hairs standing up on the back of her neck.

"Did you feel... What was that?" Wyatt muttered.

"I don't know," replied Willa, "but we should probably find out."

They fell into a brisk walk, sniffing the air around them, as they felt their necklaces twitch again. Moments later, they approached the craggy, uneven hole in the center of the street. The firefighters had already been at work here, and the fire was out. Now, gentle white plumes of steam wafted out of the hole as Willa approached the edge. Within the crater, there emanated a soft, purple glow. She distantly felt the vibration of her necklace as she hopped down, despite the concerned growls of her brother behind her.

Ignoring the continued twitching of her necklace, she impatiently waved her hands in front of her in an attempt to clear the thick steam and smoke from her vision. Then, as a gust of wind from above temporarily shifted the blinding steam around her, and she suddenly saw what had caused all of the damage around them.

"Brother." She whispered.

"What is it, Willa?" She heard him reply nervously.

She reached out, nearly touching it with astonishment, but pulling her hand back at the last second.

"It's..." She blinked, trying to ensure that she wasn't just seeing things.

"It's another moonstone."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Addison sighed as she, Bree and Eliza sat together in a crowded waiting room, filled mostly with the family members of other zombies. Several others had shown up or been brought to the hospital as well, for burns and other minor injuries. Bree was on her left side, looking absolutely on edge, and ready to fly out of her chair at the drop of a hat. Eliza was on her other side, having fallen asleep with her head rolled back against the wall, messy green curls cascading across most of her face. Zed and Bonzo were currently being moved to rooms, and then they would be allowed to go and see them both.

Bonzo had woken up in the ambulance, holding his mother's hands and asking to see Bree. He had suffered some small burns to his face and hands, and would have very sore lungs for a few days, but he was going to be fine. Still, silent tears streaked down Bree's face,her knee nervously bouncing up and down as she stared towards the door and waited for someone, anyone to come and give them news.

Unlike Bonzo, Zed had not awakened during his ambulance ride. In fact, he hadn't woken up at all. Addison didn't know much, but Zevon had stepped out to briefly update them before rushing back to his son's side. In addition to being unconscious, Zed had also suffered multiple second and third degree burns to his arms, head and shoulders, a broken shoulder blade, and a few deep lacerations from the glass as he'd busted through the window. As to why he still hadn't awakened, they suspected it was due to the smoke inhalation. A human in Zed's place would have died, no doubt about it.

As zombies and fire generally never mixed, it was rare for a zombie to actually have any kind of fire related injury. Thus, the staff of the zombie medical team were having to gain experience on the fly, as multiple zombies continued to flow in with injuries from the disaster.

But they would figure it out, Addison told herself. They would. They would help all of the injured zombies. Zed would be okay, and together she, Zed and their friends would help the other residents of Zombietown to rebuild their wonderful community. She just knew it.

The door to the waiting area opened, causing the exhausted Eliza to jerk awake in her plastic chair.

"Willa," she mumbled, before blinking and realizing her surroundings. A faint blush ghosted over her pale grey cheeks, but neither Addison nor Bree paid her any attention as Zevon approached the trio.

"Girls," Zevon said, creases of worry and exhaustion etching themselves out under his eyes.

"They're going to let you all come back into the rooms, since you're all immediate family."

He winked conspiratorially, but he was too tired for there to be any real mirth in the action.

They all stood in unison, grabbing their bags and following him back to the door.

"Thanks, Mr. Necrodopolis." Bree said sincerely.

"Is Zed awake yet?" Asked Addison, trying for a calm, unworried tone.

Zevon was silent for short moment as they walked.

"No." Was his only eventual reply.

Their shoes all padded softly against the cold tile floor as they walked the bustling halls of the zombie ward. The so called "specialized" zombie care center was actually the oldest section of the hospital. In contrast to the rest of Seabrook Medical Center, clean, bright and modern, the zombie ward was dimly lit and crowded, with dingy green walls and run-down equipment. Above them, ugly florescent lights buzzed, blinking on and off with partially burnt-out light bulbs. Addison could almost feel the bitterness rolling off of Eliza at the obvious prejudice shown against zombie patients. Addison didn't blame her. She was feeling pretty angry about it herself.

Sure, Seabrook was getting better every day. But equality was still something that needed to be fought for constantly. Right now, though, her only real concern was getting to Zed and being by his side.

Bonzo and Zed had rooms next to one another, both doors standing open as nurses bustled from place to place. As Bree saw a flash of Bonzo's shaggy green hair, she cried out and ran through his open door. From inside, Addison heard a very raspy voice call out "Breeska!" As Bree practically jumped onto his bed. Eliza entered behind her, speaking in zombie tongue to Bonzo and his mom. Addison stood at the door for a moment, smiling briefly at their joy and feeling the relief of her friend being okay washing over her. But the smile evaporated quickly as Zevon lightly touched her shoulder.

"He's in there, Addison." He gestured to the dim room beside Bonzo's, where a heart monitor beeped out the sluggish rythym of Zed's slow-beating heart.

"Would you sit with him? I'm gonna go downstairs and get a cup of coffee. And call Zoey. She needs to know how her brother is doing."

Tears stung at her eyes.

"Of course I will!" She replied, pulling him into a short but tight hug.

Zevon nodded, looking for a moment like he might cry, but quickly composing himself and smiling a tired smile.

"You're a good kid, Addison, and my son is crazy about you. I'm glad you're in his life."

Addison returned his smile with one of her own.

"Me too, Mr. Necrodopolis."

Zevon nodded back, glanced into the room, then turned to walk towards the elevator.

Addison looked back briefly into Bonzo's room, watching as her friends spoke quietly but happily at his bedside. Then, she turned and walked into the semi-darkness of her boyfriend's hospital room.

She winced, now seeing more clearly the acuteness of his injuries. His arms and forehead were wrapped in fresh, clean bandages. His shoulder was in some kind of brace, dark bruises peeking out under the white cotton hospital gown. Despite it all, he had a peaceful expression on his face, muscles relaxed and mouth slightly open as he slept. How could someone hurt so badly still manage to look so wonderful to her? But he did, and Addison walked quietly to the side of the bed, favoring the side without the broken shoulder.

Careful not to jostle him, she eased herself onto the bed next to him, arranging herself so that she was lying close to him without actually touching any of his injuries. He would want her to be there next to him. She knew it. Maybe feeling her next to him would even help wake him up.

"Zed," she said softly.

"It's me, It's Addison. I'm here."

There was no reaction from him, face still peaceful and unmoving as he slumbered.

Even as beaten up as he currently was, he was still the most handsome zombie in the world. She held his uninjured hand, grasping it softly. He looked so broken right now, and it scared her.

"Zed, I know you've done a lot, and you definitely deserve a rest, but I need you to wake up so that I know you're okay. Can you do that for me? Please?"

She delicately reached out to run her hand across his emerald-tinted hair. Through the off-putting scent of sterile hospital equipment and the sharp aroma of smoke still on his skin, Addison could smell Zed, a pleasant combination of soap and his sweat.

"Zed, Gar garga za grazeva." _Zed, I love you forever._

She leaned back next to him on the pillow, inhaling his scent as she cuddled against him.

_Addison._ She heard Zed's voice sigh.

She glanced up, sure that he had just said her name. But he remained still, eyes closed.

_Addison, my Addison, I love her, I love... _

It faded out again. The quiet voice was definitely Zed's, but he definitely wasn't talking. She sat up a little, looking directly at him with furrowed brows.

It was almost like... Like she was hearing his thoughts. Well, hearing his dreams, anyway, since he wasn't awake to think.

._..love her. She's the best thing in my life._

His silent voice spoke again, and she suddenly saw a flash of herself in her mind. But she looked different than the reflection she was used to seeing in her mirror every morning. This version of her, she was glowing, radiant and beautiful. Her white hair framed her face in lovely waves as she smiled, with sparkling blue eyes brimming with joy and laughter. A hand, Zed's hand, reached out to the vision of herself and gently stroked her chin, and vision Addison smiled and leaned into his touch. The air around her seemed to sparkle. Was this how Zed saw her?

_So happy, love her so much. Always._

A small smile spread across Zed's bruised face in the hospital bed, as the vision faded from her mind.

She stared, trying to absorb what had just happened. Zed's mind. She could hear Zed's mind!

How was it possible?

As shocking this development was, she found herself completely distracted from this strange event by the contents of Zed's brain. He was dreaming about her. He loved her. Really, truly loved her, even when he was unconscious. Her heart felt oddly full, and more tears threatened to brim over her eyes.

_Love you Addison._

The smile twitched on his lips again.

She leaned in again, lightly kissing his lips and smiling back.

"I love you too, Zed. Always."

He sighed in his sleep, the soft smile never wavering as she cuddled further into his side.

As she laid her head back on his pillow, she could feel the waves of love and devotion undulating from his mind, making her smile, despite the utter weirdness of it all. Maybe she was just so tired from the nights events that she was actually beginning to hallucinate. Her eyelids were heavy as she sighed, closing them and snuggling into the crook of his neck. That was probably it. Just loopy from stress and needing rest.

Before she even had a minute to ponder whatever strange thing was going on with her brain, she had fallen fast asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Zed was vaguely aware that he was lying down on something soft, though he didn't remember getting back into bed. Inhaling deeply, he smelled an odd scent, like rubbing alcohol and cleaning products. Was his dad cleaning something?

Zed attempted to open his eyes and sit up, but an unanticipated wave of pain stopped him from moving more than a centimeter. He let out a short gasp, totally unprepared for the angry red spasms of pain that seemed to come from everywhere. He couldn't remember ever feeling this bad before. His shoulder was throbbing viciously, and his arms, neck and head felt like someone had taken a branding iron to them.

Was he sick? He opened one eye, looking up to see a peeling, pale green ceiling in a dimply lit room. This definitely wasn't his bed. Opening his other eye, he attempted to sit up again.

"Ahg!" He yelped, and shifted slightly in surprise as something moved next to him.

"Zed?" Addison's voice gasped, as though she had suddenly been roused from a deep sleep.

"Addison," He mumbled back, having trouble getting his muddled brain to formulate words correctly. His throat felt raw, and his voice came out cracked and raspy.

What was wrong with him?

"Zed. I'm right here, you're okay. Just try not to move, handsome." He heard her whisper. He felt her warm hand softy caressing the side of his face. He leaned his head into her touch, wincing but ignoring the stabbing sensation in his left shoulder as he did so.

"Hey, beautiful." He whispered hoarsely.

Whatever was going on, he was so happy to feel her next to him. Her presence was always soothing to him, no matter what the situation was. But still, where were they and what the heck had happened to him? The last thing he remembered was... He strained, trying to pull the memory forth from his jumbled thoughts. Bonzo was with him, right? What were they doing?

Something was on fire.

The house. Bonzo's house.

Where was Bonzo? Had Zed been able to get to his friend in time?

Zed jerked his torso up again, trying to reach a sitting position and once again being completely overwhelmed with pain.

"Ah!" He groaned gently, and felt Addison's hands gently pressing him back into the bed.

"Hey, shhh. You have to be still, baby. You took quite a beating tonight."

He managed to open his eyes again, gently turning his face to look at her. She was lying next to him in bed. She had small circles under her eyes, and looked like she might have been crying. Her white hair seemed almost luminous in the dimly lit room. She was wearing her mighty shrimp pajamas, and despite himself, he couldn't help but feel a faint blush color his face. Even disheveled and wearing wrinkled pajamas, she was the most wonderful sight he'd ever seen.

_She's the most beautiful creature on earth._

She smiled back at him, almost like she knew what he was thinking.

"I'm so glad you're awake. Are you hurting? Should I get the doctor?"

"No," he lied through slightly gritted teeth.

"Don't go." He needed to know what was going on. And he couldn't stand the thought of her leaving, even if it was only to the other side of the doorway.

"Was there... Was I in a burning house? Did I dream that?"

She shook her head.

"No, you didn't dream it. You went in to get Bonzo out of his house, but you were trapped. So you took off your z-band and jumped through the window. You got him and yourself out, but you got hurt in the process... It was bad, Zed. For a second, I thought..." She trailed off as tears shimmered in her eyes.

"Hey, hey, I'm fine, I'm right here," he soothed, knowing that he probably looked and sounded like the exact opposite of fine at the moment. Clumsily, he reached out a heavily bandaged arm to wrap it across her waist and hold her to him, again ignoring the ricochet of pain radiating through his limbs. He'd gladly accept a little hurt, if it meant making her feel better.

"Is Bonzo okay?" He asked in a gravelly voice.

She continued stroking his face and hair.

"He's gonna be just fine. Thanks to you, my super zombie."

Zed chuckled in relief, hissing as he felt the sharpness in his shoulder and chest again.

"Good." He lay back against the pillow, somehow already struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Your dad is downstairs getting coffee and talking to Zoey. Everyone is okay."

"What the heck happened? One minute I was asleep in my room, and the next..."

He trailed off, trying to sort through the blurry haze of memories.

"I don't know. There was some kind of huge explosion. So far, no one seems to know exactly what it was. The Unification Gate... It's gone. A lot of the houses are damaged pretty badly. Your's too. I'm so sorry."

He felt a small pang of grief as he thought about his family home, the only place he'd ever lived. He suddenly recalled the family photo he had rescued from his smoking house, and was extremely glad that he'd thought to grab it.

"I'm just glad you're here. As long as I have that," he sighed, "We can deal with anything."

She smiled fondly.

"Gar garga za, Zed."

Gar garga za zu, Addison."

They both grinned at each other, as his eyes traitorously attempted to close again.

"Go back to sleep," she said softly. "You need rest so you can heal. I'll be right here when you wake up."

He was pretty sure he said something back, but didn't recall what it was as he was lulled almost instantly back to sleep.

ZzZzZzZ

Relief flooded through Addison as she took in Zed's once again sleeping form. He was okay. He was going to be okay.

The gentle sound of a door creaking open caused her to start, as Zed's dad and Eliza entered the room holding cups of coffee, an extra one for her in Eliza's hand. Addison watched Eliza's face fall as she took in her friend's various injuries.

"Hey, you just missed him. He woke up. He even talked to me for a couple of minutes before going back to sleep."

Zevon's eyes widened for a minute as he looked from Addison to his son.

"Oh, thank goodness," he sighed, almost falling into the bedside chair in his relief, and sloshing out a small amount of coffee.

"He's gonna be okay." Addison assured him, still caressing Zed's hair with a feather-light touch.

Eliza walked over, handing her the paper coffee cup as she sat up in the bed.

"Thought you could use a little pick-me-up, Miss Perky Von Cheerstein." Eliza offered her a lopsided grin, clearly feeling the same sensation of alleviation as the rest of them, now that she knew both of her best friends were going to be okay.

Addison smiled back.

"Oh, Eliza, You love my perkiness and you know it."

Eliza chuckled quietly, trying not to disturb Zed as she went to sit in the plastic chair near Addison.

"Nope. Never gonna admit to it."

"If you say so." Addison shrugged.

Both girls giggled again, and the room was filled with a comfortable silence as they sipped their stale hospital coffee and watched Zed's slow, even breathing.

_...so beautiful. One day I'm going to marry her._

Addison whipped her head back to face Zed as she heard his voice filter in and out of her head again. She blinked as she saw another vision of herself, this time in a dress as white as her hair as she and Zed twirled together in a slow waltz. He was in a maroon and grey suit, similar to the one he wore at the Prawn, and wore a brilliant smile on his face. Addison couldn't help but gasp and raise a hand to her heart as she watched him dream about their future together.

The vision evaporated as Eliza raised one eyebrow.

"You okay, Ads?"

"Uh, I. Yeah, it's just... Um." She replied lamely. Turning to look at Zed's dad, she saw that he too had fallen fast asleep, forgotten coffee cup gradually spilling it's contents onto the floor.

"Let's, ah. Can you talk to me outside for a minute?" Addison finally asked.

She didn't want to wake Zed or his dad up, and wanted to talk somewhere where they wouldn't have to whisper.

Eliza nodded, crumpling her now empty coffee cup and tossing it into the little recycle bin near the doorway. Together, they stood and tiptoed out into the now mostly empty hallway. Once she'd pulled the door shut as silently as possible, Addison exhaled deeply, leaning back against the pea-green wall.

"What's up?" Eliza whispered.

Addison shuffled side to side, worrying the partially consumed cup of coffee in her hands for a moment as she pondered how to explain what was going on.

"Okay," she started, "so, you're going to think I'm crazy—"

"I've always thought that."

"Stop!" Addison couldn't help but release a short laugh, playfully pretending to punch her friend in the arm. "I'm serious!"

Eliza raised her hands up, a crooked grin briefly flashing across her face.

"Okay, okay! Sorry. Really, though. What's up? The guys are gonna be fine. We can work together to rebuild the neighborhood. The worst is over."

Addison paused.

"Come on, girl," Eliza pressed. "Out with it, already."

"I think..." Addison began, tugging self-consciously at her hair.

"I think... I'm pretty sure that I can read Zed's mind. I can hear what he's thinking."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: Sorry it's been a couple of days since I have been able to update. To make up for it, here are the next two chapters for you! Thanks for your reviews and follows!

Chapter 6

Eliza felt her eyebrow arch upward on one side, as she propped an elbow against the tiny table standing at the entrance to Zed's hospital room door.

"You think...you can read...your boyfriend's mind?"

Addison stared back at her, slowly nodding her head.

"Yeah. I think I can."

"Ah." Eliza paused, trying to think of some kind of appropriate response. One that didn't involve telling her friend that she had completely lost her mind.

"Look, Ads, it's been a long night. I think you're probably just a little kooky with sleep deprivation or stress or something." She reached out and lightly patted Addison's shoulder.

"No," Addison pressed, "It's not that. I swear, it's like, his voice is fading in and out of my head like a radio signal. And I keep getting flashes of what he's dreaming about in his sleep."

"Uh-huh," Eliza replied, "And what exactly is he dreaming about?"

Addison blushed deeply at the question, a small grin making it's way across her face.

"Um. Me. He's dreaming about me." Her smile widened.

Eliza let out a soft laugh.

"Well, that's not exactly hard to guess, Ads. Zed's absolutely head over heels for you, anyone could figure that out. Ever think that maybe you just know him extremely well? You guys are practically attached at the hip."

Eliza rolled her eyes, taking a moment to pretend to be disgusted by her friends and their gooey, lovey-dovey relationship.

Though she'd never say it out loud, she was actually extremely happy for both of them. And maybe a little jealous. Until recently, she'd never understood what it was like to have such deep feelings for another being. Until she'd met a certain werewolf, that is. Willa was truly inspiring to be around, in more ways than one. She admired the wolf's strength, leadership, and pride in who and what she was.

Plus, she was drop dead gorgeous with her dark eyes, full lips and cascading black and white hair.

Abruptly, Eliza snapped out of her reverie and focused back on the conversation at hand.

"My point is, you guys are extremely tuned in to one another. And it's been a pretty traumatic past few hours, so it makes sense that you are especially intuitive to your boyfriend's feelings right now. I think you're just hyping yourself up for no reason. Not to mention, we're all completely exhausted. I mean, I don't know about you, but I'm just barely functioning on leftover adrenaline and gross hospital coffee right now."

Addison stood for a moment, giving herself time to consider her friend's words.

Eliza sighed, the weight and exhaustion and emotion of the day all seeming to catch up to her at once. She tried to stifle a yawn, not wanting her friend to misconstrue her weariness as disinterest.

Addison shrugged.

"I don't know. It really doesn't seem like it. But, I mean... Maybe you're right about the exhaustion thing. I feel like I've been awake for days. I don't even know what time it is."

She glanced around, maybe hoping to spot a clock on the faded green wall somewhere, but without any luck.

"Yeah," Eliza said, nodding as she started to turn back to face Zed and Bonzo's rooms.

"Honestly, I think we're both a little punch-drunk right now."

They both let out a quick burst of quiet giggles.

"You've definitely go that right," Addison agreed.

"I mean, just now," she continued, "I could have sworn that I could tell you were thinking about—"

"Willa!?'

Eliza cut off Addison's train of thought, completely bewildered as a familiar pair of figures turned the corner down the hall, the taller of the two marching purposefully towards them with her black and white curls rippling wildly out around her head.

Willa and Wyatt were striding down the hall at full tilt, going as briskly as they could without breaking into a run. Eliza watched them approach, sniffing the air around them as they examined their surroundings. She watched as Willa's eyes locked onto hers with an unanticipated intensity.

Upon reaching the two girls, Eliza let out a small "oof," as Willa pulled her into a tight hug.

While she knew she was taking advantage of what she was sure was a strictly platonic hug, she couldn't help but lean into her, smelling her soft, woodsy scent as she was fully encircled by Willa's arms. Willa's muscular yet soft figure was pressed so closely to hers, and she couldn't help but notice how nicely their bodies fit together. It was all she could do to keep herself from actually burrowing her face into the crook of Willa's neck, which she was quiet certain her friend would not appreciate.

_Get ahold of yourself, Eliza!_ She thought, mentally chastising herself.

When had she become such a softie?

With great reluctance, she partially disentangled herself from Willa's embrace, looking up into her concerned yet intense gaze. Wyatt was speaking with Addison in hushed tones, discussing the evening's events and assuring her that all was well with the wolf pack.

"What, ah," Eliza said softly, not willing to entirely release her as they continued to lock eyes.

"What are you guys doing here? Are you okay?"

Willa paused and blinked, as if suddenly realizing that she was still holding on to Eliza, and hastily dropped her arms back to her sides.

"We saw the star falling from the sky, and then we smelled the fires. Of course, we went to Zombietown to see if we could help." Willa stated with a half-shrug.

"I spoke to your mother, and she told me where to find you."

"Wait," Eliza said, holding up her palm to signal her friend to stop.

"Wait. Do you just say 'falling star'?"

Willa nodded.

"Yes. At first we thought a small meteor had crashed, causing all of the mayhem." Willa explained, not noticing her own actions as her hand moved forward and slid into Eliza's, gripping it securely for a few moments.

"But then, Wyatt and I took a moment to investigate the site of the crater. As it turns out, it was no normal meteor. A moonstone is what crashed into Zombietown. A second one."

Eliza felt a breeze against her teeth, as she realized her mouth had dropped open.

"What?" She exhaled, feeling her eyes growing wide. "A _second _moonstone? How is that possible? I didn't know that they were... I mean, not from this planet."

Willa simply shrugged.

"The pack has never known the origins of the moonstone. We simply evolved around it, living alongside it and becoming one with it as time passed. It has always been a part of who we are, but we never thought to question where it came from."

Eliza considered this, nodding slowly as she processed this new information.

"So..." She pondered aloud, "what will happen with the second moonstone?"

Willa shrugged again.

"I don't know. Many of the wolves may feel that it belongs to the pack. But who knows what the authorities of Seabrook will decide. It landed out of our territory, and it isn't worth going to war over when we already have our own moonstone."

"Well, that's a relief," Eliza sighed, offering the female wolf a gentle smile. "I'd say we already have enough to worry about without an inter-species war on our hands."

To Eliza's surprise, Willa let out a short laugh, allowing one of her rare but dazzling smiles to momentarily grace her face. Eliza felt the heat briefly flush across her face.

"Most definitely." Willa continued. "But the most important thing is that you are okay."

Willa's eyes widened slightly.

"Erm. All of you, I mean. I'm glad that all of you are okay."

Eliza tilted her head slightly, feeling a little confused, as Wyatt snickered behind her.

She turned around, about to ask Wyatt what he'd found funny, when her eyes landed on Addison.

Addison was staring at her and Willa with a look of deep concentration, brows furrowed and mouth slightly agape.

"Ads? What's with the face?"

Addison seemed to abruptly realize what she was doing, and shook her head.

"Oh. Um. Nothing." She said, blushing and sending a few more glances between Willa and Eliza.

"I'm, uh, pretty beat. I'm gonna go see if I can get any sleep on one of those ridiculously uncomfortable plastic chairs in Zed's room."

She offered a distracted wave at the trio in front of her, blushed, and quickly walked back into the room.

"What was that about?" Asked Wyatt, still looking amused.

"Who knows. Cheerleaders are one type of creature I cannot begin to understand."

Eliza shrugged, and directed the two wolves to follow her to the hospital cafeteria, in hopes of finding more stale coffee and maybe getting to spend a little more time with her favorite wolf.

ZzZzZzZ

Addison, quietly pressed the door shut, eyes wide with bewilderment, and tiptoed across the cramped room to Zed's sleeping form. Again, she climbed very carefully onto the edge of the mattress so that she could lie next to him.

Her frazzled mind was reeling, trying to sort out what had just happened. She had been out in the hall with Eliza, trying to explain the night's strange events without sounding completely insane. Then, Wyatt and Willa had rounded the corner, and instantly, Addison had been beset with emotions that were not her own. She could feel Eliza's sense of surprise and confusion, blended with anxiety and happiness.

Then as Willa approached, she felt pulsating waves of relief and protectiveness radiating towards Eliza, mixed with embarrassment and devotion. As she had tried to hold a short conversation with Wyatt regarding the events of the evening, she was continuously distracted by the emotions being silently barraged at her from the other females.

It wasn't the same thing that had happened earlier, with Zed's dreams. Rather than full-on words and pictures, she was merely feeling and getting general impressions of their emotions. Which was still extremely unsettling. To her slight surprise, Addison realised that Eliza and Willow were both in love with one another. But clearly, neither one of them knew that the other reciprocated their feelings. Addison's eyes widened as she heard Willa laugh and glanced over to see them briefly squeeze hands as they spoke. They cared for each other so much. How could they not know?

More importantly, how could _Addison _know? She should not be able to magically know any of this. She reading their emotions. She could tell how they felt. Not to mention, current incident aside, she could now miraculously hear and even see what Zed was thinking and dreaming. Something was definitely going on, and it definitely wasn't just sleep deprivation. She had politely excused herself as quickly as possible and retreated to the dim hospital room.

As she lie next to Zed, who didn't seem to be dreaming at the moment, she contemplated her next move. She had no idea what was happening to her. Trying to talk to Eliza about it had definitely crashed and burned. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to mention this to anyone again until she had had time to figure out exactly what was going on with her brain. She didn't want anyone to think she was going crazy, or something. Despite her concern, she suddenly stifled a large yawn.

She sighed, letting herself relax into the lumpy mattress in the hospital bed. Now wasn't the time to get all worked up about whatever was going on with her. Right now, she needed to stay at Zed's side and focus on helping him feel better. And, she needed to rest to be able to do that. Putting the mayhem in her head aside, she closed her eyes and tried to focus on the sound of Zed's breathing and on his familiar, comforting smell. Using his presence as a balm to her worries, she was asleep within minutes.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: So, My apologies in advance if this chapter is a bit of a downer. I wanted to get a little more in-depth about what happened in Zed's past with his mom, because I feel that it is an important factor that explains how his character grows and develops. It also highlights that he is an extremely positive and optimistic person, despite having painful memories in his past.

Chapter 7

He hardly ever had the dream anymore.

It had been over four years, now, since his mom had died. The first year or so, he had experienced terrifying nightmares that would wake him, crying and shaking, and sent him running to his dad's bed for comfort. His sister would occasionally hear his steps, and follow his path to their dad's bedroom on the first floor. There were a lot of mostly sleepless nights spent between the three of them in that bed, those first several months, holding each other and taking turns either comforting one another or being comforted.

But he had, for the most part, been able to put his nightmares in the past in the last couple of years. Zed was the type of zombie that preferred to stay positive, choosing instead to focus on good memories and on looking forward to the future. Especially since he had come to Seabrook High, and Addison had come soaring into his life like a shooting star. He had no reason to be sad, and no reason to dwell on the bad when he was currently surrounded with so much good.

He hadn't yet told her about it; she only knew that his mom was dead, and Addison had been kind enough to sense that it was not a topic he was comfortable bringing up. Her understanding of him was one of the many things he adored about her. But after the traumatic night he'd had, it wasn't surprising that his brain had decided to drudge up other traumatizing events.

That didn't make it any easier, though.

ZzZzZzZ

Addison's eyes popped open, feeling the glare of unexpected sunshine in her vision through the dingy hospital window shades. She glanced across the bed to look at Zed, who was still and tranquil, a small trickle of saliva lining the side of his face. She stifled a laugh and brushed it away with the corner of the pillowcase. Looking across the room, she saw that Zevon was no longer asleep in the chair. A torn section of paper taped to the back of the seat informed her that he had gone downstairs to get breakfast.

_What's in that place?_ A child's voice suddenly echoed in her heed.

She had a moment to look back at Zed's closed eyes, brows now slightly turned down, as she was immersed in the vivid dream that Zed was suddenly having.

_It was sunny and bright outside. A family of four zombies walked along a clean, tidy street lined with small businesses. It looked like the downtown area of Seabrook. A slightly younger Zevon held a tiny Zoey on his shoulders, who looked about three or four years old, both of them smiling and examining their surroundings with interest. Beside them, a much shorter Zed, looking as though her were about ten, walked beside a curvy female Zombie with wavy, soulder-length emerald hair and familiar large, dark eyes. _

_Zed's mom, Addison realized with a slight jolt of shock._

_"What's in that place?" _

_Young Zed asked, pointing across the street to one of Seabrook's many frozen yogurt establishments. It was neatly decorated with sets of pink and blue chairs and tables, shaded by large pastel umbrellas. A few humans sat outside, chatting and eating their deserts. Though Zed didn't seem to notice, Addison was aware of the disapproving looks that the humans sent the little family's way._

_Zed's mom smiled, choosing to ignore the glares of the humans as they walked._

_"It's like a restaurant, but they sell cold deserts there. It's called frozen yogurt. Ive never had it, but I know humans love it!"_

_Zed's eyes zeroed in on the frozen treat, and he groaned._

_"Ohhh, I want some! Can we try it mom, can we please?"_

_Addison watched as his mother's smile faltered for a moment, and knew she was staring not at the food but at the large sign on the window stating "HUMAN ONLY ESTABLISHMENT."_

_Looking back at her son, she quickly pepped back up._

_"Oh, goodness," she wrinkled her nose exaggeratedly, "you wouldn't want to try any of that stuff. The cauli-brain pie we make at home is way better, right Zevon?"_

_Zevon smiled, bouncing little Zoey up and down on his shoulders as she giggled._

_"Oh, ab-so-lutely! Nothing around here could even come close! Actually, son, since we're out to pick up uniforms, maybe we can stop by the store on the way back home. We'll get the ingredients we need and have some pie tonight after dinner. What do you think?"_

_"Yeah!" Zed and Zoey agreed wholeheartedly, frozen yogurt completely forgotten._

While Addison had always known that zombies wore government-issued uniforms, she had never considered how they got them, assuming they bought them at clothing stores within the barrier. But she also recalled that zombies were once allowed to enter Seabrook only rarely, and only while wearing special day passes. She now noticed the pink bands on each of their wrists as they walked. Maybe getting new uniforms was one of those times an allowance was made, necessitating the day passes.

She had learned so much more about what zombie life was like in the last year or so, but there was clearly still a lot she didn't know.

_As they approached an intersection, they paused, checking to ensure that the crossing light was green before proceeding. After ensuring it was, the family unit continued on their way. _

_From their perspective, they couldn't see what Addison saw._

_A human in a powder blue truck was currently going way to fast around the corner, and unknowingly speeding right into the path of the family. Time seemed to slow down._

_Zed's mom, just as the truck was bearing down upon them, raised her eyebrows high as her mouth opened in fear. Not hesitating for a millisecond, she reached over, grabbing Zed and tossing him rapidly towards Zevon and Zoey. Zed's body flew into their dad, knocking all three of them out of the path of the vehicle as the front of the truck collided with his mom._

_She was immediately airborne, a shoe and something else flying off of her into the air as she catapulted and landed sickeningly against the pavement. Her z-band, the other item that had been knocked from her body by the impact, fell under the wheels of the truck. It immediately shattered under the crushing weight of the still-moving tires._

_Addison looked on helplessly, watching it all play out._

_Zed's mom, now without her z-band, was already struggling to her feet, one arm severely broken and hanging at a horrific angle. Blood ran from her nose and mouth as her eyes reddened, black veins spider-webbing out across her limbs. She let out a guttural scream that sounded more like a roar as she rounded on the now stopped truck._

_Zed, his sister and dad were all still on the ground, scrambling to get back to their feet as both kids screamed in fear, not understanding yet what had happened. What was still happening._

_Their mom roared again, limping as she rapidly approached the blue truck, staring murderously at the human inside. He screamed in horror, and the area suddenly echoed with the dull ring of Z-alarms as people began to realize what was taking place. A few humans were running in the other direction. Two Zombie Patrol officers, however, bounded out of a vehicle parked just up the street, running towards Zed's now feral mother with weapons drawn. _

_But they weren't carrying stunners, as Addison had seen used on Zed that horrible day at the football game._

_They were carrying guns._

_"Rogue zombie!" One screamed into the device attached to the shoulder of his uniform as he aimed the barrel of his weapon towards her._

_Distantly, she heard Zevon screaming "No, wait-" as ear-splitting shots rang out._

_Addison looked away, not wanting to see the body fall, or see the aftermath of what the gunshots had done. She looked back to the younger versions of Zed and his sister, who had watched the whole event unfold from where they lay on the pavement. Where their mom had pushed them to safety only moments before. Zevon's screams becoming garbled and nonsensical as he collapsed fully to the ground. Zed was crying silent tears as he watched his mother lie without movement, large tears dripping from his chin to the ground as more z-patrol officers appeared. The three remaining family members were now being herded back, being led away from the scene before them and towards another z-patrol vehicle._

_Young Zed looked to Addison, seeming to notice her for the first time._

_"Addy!" He cried in a broken, desperate voice._

Addison was rapidly pulled out of the dream as Zed jumped awake, yelling loudly as he felt his injuries strain at the movement.

ZzZzZzZ

"Ahhh!" Zed shouted, clapping his less-injured hand to his shoulder as pain seared through him, abruptly and uncomfortably ripping him to full consciousness. His heart was squeezing painfully in his chest, though he couldn't remember what he'd just been dreaming about. His muscles tensed involuntarily as he worked to manage the agony burning through him. Taking deep, gulping breaths, he was suddenly aware of the soft sound of crying next to him.

He turned, accepting the throbbing that pulsed through him as be came face to face with Addison. She was sitting up next to him in an almost identical position, but to his alarm, he realized that she was crying as she stared back at him. He instantly went into protection mode, leaning in to wrap his good arm gingerly around her.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" He soothed, his zombie instincts causing him to scan his eyes around the room to ensure that she was safe. He softly ran his thumb across her cheeks, wiping away her tears as she stared at him with a horrified, almost grief-stricken expression. She just shook her head, maintaining eye contact but seeming unable to answer.

"Addison. Hey, look at me. Everything's okay, you're safe."

A short sob bubbled out of her throat, and she leaned into him. He could tell that despite her distress, she was trying to be gentle with his injuries as they held one another. For a moment, the only sound was Addison's quiet, hiccuping sobs as she attempted to calm herself from whatever had upset her.

After a few minutes, she seemed to have calmed somewhat. He pulled back slightly, looking down into her eyes with concern.

"What happened, beautiful?" He asked gently as he continued to run his fingers through her hair in what he hoped was a soothing gesture.

She took in a shaking breath, not quite meeting his eyes.

"I just... I had a bad dream. That's all."

Another tear slid down her cheek, which he again immediately wiped away with his thumb as he tenderly kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Ads." He said. "I know it was a bad night last night. But everyone is okay, and that's what's important. I'll always be here to keep you safe, I promise."

She gifted him with a watery smile.

"Oh, Zed." She sighed, staring back at him like she thought he hung the moon. Her hand rested on his cheek. He could never believe his luck, that he had found a girl like her who looked at him like that. She leaned forward, kissing him softly on his bruised lips. (Was there any part of him that_ didn't _hurt right now?)

She let out a small chuckle, pulling away a bit as she looked back up at him.

"Gar garga za, Zed. You are the most wonderful, strong, and good person I have ever known."

He grinned, soaking in her beautiful face.

"I don't know about all that, but I'm definitely the luckiest zombie around, because I have you."

He leaned in again, planting another soft kiss on her forehead.

A loud, distinctly un-romantic growl sounded from his stomach.

Addison laughed, releasing him as she slid from the bed to a standing position. He was relieved to see her laugh, though he wished his stomach hadn't driven her from the bed.

"You, my handsome prince, need to lie back down and rest. I'm going to see about getting you some breakfast."

He grinned back.

"You're the best girlfriend a guy could hope for."

She laughed again, the air in the room now seeming far lighter and happier than it had felt a few minutes ago.

"It's easy, with you as my boyfriend." She quipped back, winking and gliding to the door, quickly opening it and shutting it behind her as she went in search of food.

He leaned back into the bed, smile still lingering on his face as he though back through the morning's events. The small, painful squeeze in his heart was still there. He couldn't remember for certain, but he was pretty sure that his old, reoccurring nightmare had been what had awakened him so dramatically. He was glad he didn't recall for sure, not wanting to dwell on it. Instead, he focused on his interaction with Addison, and pondered what could possibly have made her so upset.

It was weird that they'd both been frightened awake by nightmares at the same time.

As he glanced around, searching for the remote to the tiny TV hanging on the hospital room wall, he wondered what she had been dreaming about.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Hey everyone! It has been a busy weekend, so I wasn't as productive as I prefer to be. But fear not, more chapters are coming up soon!

And I apologize in advance for the cliffhanger.

Again.

Chapter 8

Addison exhaled deeply as her tennis shoes padded squeakily across the floor of the hospital hallway. She was still trying to process what had just happened, as well as searching for some sort of signage that would tell her how to get to the cafeteria. Whatever was going on with her, she wanted to make sure Zed ate. Fortunately, as she rounded the corner towards where she remembered the elevators being, she saw Zevon striding towards her. His gray coveralls were crumpled, and his eyes still looked tired, but he offered her a large smile as they approached one another.

"Hey, Addison!" He said, waving a large paper bag at her, the delicious scent of pastries making her mouth water.

"I got us all some breakfast! And I even got some human flavors just for you. Ah, humans _do_ like apples, right?"

She laughed a little, despite her remaining jitters from earlier.

"Yes, we sure do. Zed just woke up, I think he's watching TV right now."

"Good! I can't wait to see him. And give him a piece of my mind regarding his crazy, heroic antics last night." Zevon let out a quick sigh, running a hand through his thinning green hair. "He really gave us a good scare last night, didn't he?"

Addison smiled.

"Yeah, he really did. But he saved Bonzo. You should be proud of him, Mr. Necrodopolis. He's good and he's brave, and he does what's right. Even when it's not easy."

Zevon grinned back at her.

"You're a smart kid, Addison. And you're right. I am proud."

He offered her a quick pat to the back.

"Come on, let's get back in there and eat." Zevon continued, still grinning.

"Actually," she said, "I'm, um, gonna run home and change into some actual clothes, I think."

In all honestly, she actually just wanted to get out of the building for a few minutes to sort through her jumbled brain.

"Will you tell Zed I'll be back in an hour or so?"

"Ab-so-lutely!" Zevon said, echoing the conversation she'd heard him have with Zed's mom in the dream only minutes before. She felt a slight pain in her heart as she recalled it. "You can go home and rest for a while if you need to, Addy." He continued. "I know Eliza went home to get some sleep; she's coming back in the afternoon."

"Nah, I just need a quick shower and change, and I'll be back. Do you want me to pick up Zoey and bring her by on my way?"

"Actually, that'd be great!" Zevon said, nodding. "It'd give Ziporah a break, and I know she's anxious to see her big brother." His smile diminished slightly.

"I know last night was bad for her. She's a tough kid, but she's been through a lot, and... I'm just glad everyone is okay." There was a sad undertone to his voice and in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. Or maybe she had just never noticed until today.

Not to mention, she could physically _feel _the mingled waves of muted grief and cautious optimism rolling off of him.

Right. Her little problem.

She needed to get out of here for a while.

Addison offered him a quick hug, and continued walking to the elevator.

"Hey, kiddo, don't forget your breakfast!" Zevon called.

She turned around in time to see him tossing an apple fritter into the air towards her. She caught it with both hands, laughing and taking a bite, hungry in spite of her inner turmoil.

"Thanks Mr. Necrodopolis! I'll be back with Zoey soon."

Turning back to the elevator, she quickly walked inside the opened door, pressing the lobby button and watching the elevator doors slide shut.

She sighed, taking another bite of the apple fritter and gazing off into space.

She thought back again, through the horrible dream that she had seen through Zed. Technically, it was more of a memory than a dream. She couldn't help but feel a deep admiration for her boyfriend, as she considered the new things she had learned about him. She knew his mom had died, but never questioned him about it, figuring that he would tell her when he was ready. But who could ever be ready to talk about _that_? And even after watching his mother die at the hands of humans, in a tragically unfair situation, he still truly believed that everyone was equal. Knowing what she knew now, she wouldn't have blamed him if he had grown up to hate humans. He hadn't. Despite all the bad, he had chosen to believe in the goodness in people, both zombie and human.

She hadn't thought it was possible. But this knowledge, painful though it was, made her love him even more than she always had. Zed was a rare, sincerely good person.

This fact helped to ease her heart more than anything else could.

But...

But the fact remained. Something was _definitely _wrong with her.

Addison tapped her foot as the elevator crawled slowly towards the ground floor.

In her head, she listed off the things that she knew.

She could read Zed's thoughts, and see his dreams and what he was picturing in his head.

Around everyone else, she could feel their emotions.

These things seemed to have only been happening since she woke up last night, so there was always the possibility that whatever was happening would go away. But, the fact that a moonstone had crashed into her town around the same time was a pretty big coincidence. Last night, when Wyatt and Willa had come to catch them up on the evenings events, she had been too upset to really let anything they'd said sink in. Not to mention extremely distracted by the ridiculous silent drama going on between Willa and Eliza.

She should really talk to Eliza. Maybe when she went to pick up Zoey, Eliza would hitch a ride with them.

Shaking her head, Addison focused again on the problem at hand. Maybe her new issues were in some way related to the arrival of the second moonstone. It didn't necessarily make much sense, but it was something for her to look into more closely. And if it had something to do with the moonstone, then there was a very good possibility that she already had friends who would be able to help her figure this out.

The elevator doors opened, and she strode out feeling slightly more at ease, now that she had a plan in place. After running home to change, she would go get Eliza and Zoey and get back to Zed's side at the hospital.

Then, tomorrow, she was going to go and visit the wolves.

ZzZzZzZ

Wyatt sighed as he sauntered tiredly through the woods, heading back to the den to get some rest. It had been a very, very long night. After they had seen the falling star, they had discovered the second moonstone, been to the hospital, and then returned to Zombietown with Eliza. There, they had spent the next several hours helping their zombie friends to contain and put out the remaining fires. The pack would be offering extra space within their den, for any zombies who were now displaced. And of course, they would all gladly work alongside the zombies and humans to rebuild all of the damaged homes.

The sun rose on a smoldering, hazy Zombietown. So much had been damaged. There would be a lot of work to do over the next several days. But for now, Wyatt desperately needed to get back to the den, curl up on his bed, and get some sleep. Willa had stayed at Eliza's house, under the guise of "helping take care of Zoey."

Wyatt and Eliza's mom, Ziporah, had grinned at each other behind the two females backs, as they'd stood in the entryway to the Zambie home. Wyatt found himself chuckling about it again now as he continued on his path home. It was definitely tempting for him to give Willa a hard time. He was her younger brother, after all. But in truth, seeing this new side of her made him extremely happy.

Willa had never been what anyone would call "light-hearted," but the last few months, his sister had a nearly constant smile on her face. She was kinder, she was more generous, and had grown to lead the pack with patience and great optimism for the future.

Wyatt was used to his sister being too serious at all times. Always on alert, always wary. She had spent most of her life being distrustful of others and fiercely protective of the pack. They had grown up in a difficult time for their people. Until they had been able to retrieve the moonstone, Willa had inherited the alpha position in the midst of a dying people. With their necklaces almost depleted, they had been desperate, bent of saving their tribe from extinction.

But things were completely different now. Reunited with the moonstone, his people no longer had to merely focus on surviving. Now, they could focus on_ living_. And finally, Willa was allowing herself to be a teenager. They had been acting like adults for most of their lives, caring for the elders and the cubs. But now, it was almost like they were getting to be normal young adults for the first time ever.

Of course, finding the moonstone wasn't the main thing that had cause his sister's temperament to shift so tremendously.

Smiling, Wyatt leapt across the stream, landing next to the large, white and gray boulder that marked the halfway point from the town to the wolf den. As he rounded it, the wind shifted directed and he instinctively sniffed the air flowing around him.

He froze.

He was not alone.

Spinning in the opposite direction, his necklace and eyes blazed as he searched the area for the perceived threat. The woods seemed tranquil; the only movement was the gentle flutter of leaves in the breeze and the splashing of the nearby stream. Nevertheless, Wyatt's hairs were standing on end, nostrils flared. There was a strange smell in the area, one that seemed both familiar and completely new to him at the same time.

There!

A wave of rippling white flashed at the edge of his vision. Wyatt's head snapped towards the movement, a quiet but ferocious snarl escaping his throat without his volition. There was a figure with its back to him, racing away in the opposite direction. Down their back, a long mane of snowy white hair cascaded in tangles. He had only ever seen that color of hair on one other creature in his life.

Eyes widening, Wyatt made chase, following them into the dense thicket.

"Hey!" He called, attempting to reel in his wolfy instincts and forcing his amber eyes to phase back to their normal deep brown.

He didn't want them to mistake him as a threat. Wyatt had a very distinct feeling that this person, whoever they were, would have some extremely interesting information for his honorary packmate Addison. Not to mention the rest of the wolf pack. Something was going on here. Within less than 12 hours of a second moonstone plummeting to earth, a mysterious, white haired being appears in the woods? And this, only a few months after Addison, the only other person with white hair he'd ever seen, had helped the pack find their own moonstone? No, these things had to be connected, somehow.

There was no way that this person was here by coincidence. His feet bounded after them, sprinting with slight trepidation into a region of the forest that the wolves did not frequent. He kept his gaze forward on his target, not daring to look into the rapidly darkening forest. The leaves overhead were thick, creating an effective shield against the cheery morning sunlight that had been present only moments before.

As pups, they had all grown up hearing stories about this section of the forest, and how it was haunted by evil spirits. No one went there; it was a strangely lifeless place, and hunting was a wasted effort. Between the stories and lack of food to drive them inward, he and his packmates, at least all the ones his age, had never once set foot here. Wyatt held down a shiver that tried to make its way up his spine.

"Hey!" Wyatt called again. "Please, stop! I just want to talk to you! I don't mean you any-"

Out of thin air, it seemed, a second white haired figure appeared on his right, flanking him as they ran deeper into the haunted woods. He jerked to the left, trying to avoid being boxed in, only to meet the pale hair of a third runner._ Oh no. _He felt is breath catch as his head begain to buzz strangely.

Turning around, he began retreating towards the direction of the den as he suddenly felt very...exhausted. Tipping forward, he collapsed into the forest floor with a frustrated growl, a bed of graying leaves seeming to rise up to meet him. Rotating his head to the side, he made brief eye contact with the icy green eyes of a white haired woman, approaching him with a look of concern as his eyelids slid shut.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's note: Hey everyone! It's been yet another crazy workweek for me so far, and it has taken me days to finalize this one chapter.

Also, while I wanted to give some of the story from Bonzo's perspective in this chapter, I also didn't want to spend hours fabricating zombie tongue. So, whenever we are hearing from Bonzo, just keep in mind that everything he's saying is actually in zombie tongue, but written in english for the sake of helping the story flow better. This way, we can get more in-depth as to what is going on in Bonzo's head, because I love him and Bree and they deserve some developement too, dang it!

Thanks, and enjoy. More exciting chapters coming sooooon!

Chapter 9

Zed ground his teeth together, biting back a groan of discomfort as he sat too quickly onto the lumpy hospital mattress. He had just been fitted with a strange foam and plastic cast, which firmly immobilized his entire left shoulder. He could only take it off to shower, which greatly annoyed him. But this way, he would still have the use of both his hands, and would be able to take the brace off permanently in about a week.

He had been absolutely shocked to learn that human bones could take up to eight weeks to heal. Sometimes, they even required surgeries to help mend the damaged bone. He would have to remember to ask Addison or her cousin Bucky about it. Surely, with all of the acrobatics involved in cheer, injuries like that would be bound to happen on occasion. It sounded like it would be a pretty irritating inconvenience. One week was bad enough.

He'd have to add "fast healing" to the list of things that made being a zombie awesome.

Bonzo, for example, had already been released from the hospital.

Actually, Bonzo had apparently left the hospital first thing in the morning. Zed was a little hurt that his friend hadn't even stopped by to see him before leaving.

He tried to not let it bother him as he leaned back into his pillow, pulling his lanky legs painstakingly back onto the bed. Zed was a pretty confident guy, generally speaking, and wasn't comfortable with the idea of one of his best friends not being on speaking terms with him.

Maybe Bonzo was mad at him. Maybe he blamed Zed for not getting there sooner? Or, maybe, Zed was just overreacting, and his friend had simply been too tired to drop by on his way out of the hospital. But it didn't feel that way.

Zed sighed, trying not to think about it. Apparently, Zed's family, as well as Bonzo and his mom, would all be staying at the Zambie house for a few days, while they began to work on repairing the damaged homes. That would surely give him ample time to talk with his friend, and ensure that everything was alright between the two of them.

His dad had stepped out while they had fitted him with the brace, and was probably still wandering the halls. Zed sighed, looking around him at the faded green walls of his room. Unlike Bonzo, they were making him stay another night, to ensure that he was recovering fine, since he had been unconscious so long. His burns were already healed enough that the bandages weren't really necessary, and the stiches across the large cut on his forehead itched irritatingly as his wound healed. Apparently, that cut was deep enough that he would have a scar, but he didn't mind. He distinctly recalled one of his football teammates stating to him that "chicks dig scars."

Zed grinned, and considered asking Addison's opinion on scars when she came back, hoping to get her to laugh. His dad said she had run home to change clothes. He found himself hoping that maybe she would also lie down for a while and get some rest. She definitely needed it.

So did he, he thought mildly as he stifled a yawn.

Settling back into his pillow, he closed his eyes, sighing and thinking about Addison as he quickly succumed to sleep.

ZzZzZzZ

Bonzo sat on Eliza's bed, staring blankly towards the wall opposite him. There was a collage of pictures there, with photos of himself, Zed, and Eliza scattered throughout. The photos ranged from old, faded photos of them as small children, to glossier, recent ones which now included their new human friends and a few of the wolves. But through it all, there had been two constants in his life, Eliza and Zed. They had been his dearest friends since before he could even remember.

He raised a still bandaged hand to his face. It felt weird.

It took him a moment to realize that the reason it felt weird was because he hadn't so much as cracked a smile all morning. That in itself was out of character for him.

He was smiling almost constantly, from the moment he woke up to the second he went to sleep at night. Bonzo knew that many people, human or otherwise, found him odd. In addition to his continuous smile, he was a jubilant and touchy-feely guy, who instantly wanted to hug anyone he met. He couldn't help it. He loved people and he loved life, and found beauty and joy in the simplest things. The world was such a wonderful place, and it was all the better now that he had Bree in his life. Dating her was like dating sunshine personified; a constant beam of happiness at his side.

But at the moment, he somehow couldn't feel any of his normal joy or enthusiasm.

The main thing he felt was guilt. Crushing, unrelenting guilt.

And shame.

He had only ever experienced these emotions once before, on that awful day at the football game when the Aceys had hacked their z-bands. After he had felt the painful electrical shock of the stunner, which had sent him sprawling to the turf of the football field, he had instantly been overwhelmed with shame. Feeling his inner zombie take over had been absolutely terrifying; the rage and anger that had coursed through him had made him feel sick. Maybe, he'd thought, the humans were right all along. Maybe he really was a monster.

Over the following weeks and months, thanks to Bree and to all of his friends, he had been able to assure himself that this was not the case. At least, he wasn't a monster in the sense that some people seemed to think. Now, looking at the photos scattered on the wall before him, he thought that he might be the worst kind of monster. A coward, who almost got his best friend killed thanks to his paralysing fear of fire.

Bonzo thought back to the events of last night, his breath hitching as tears began to slide down his face. He remembered seeing Zed crawl into view, coughing and shouting words that he was too panicked to understand. Instead of following his friend's lead and making his way to the door, he had sat frozen, putting them both in grave danger. Bonzo hadn't even felt the burns that seared his hands and face as the ceiling caved in, completely numbed by fear and adrenaline.

They were going to die. Zed was going to die, because of him. Then, as he had begun to slump over, the smoke finally pulling him from consciousness, he had heard the loud, inhuman roar of a zombie without their z-band. He had learned in the ambulance ride that his friend had taken his own z-band off to save them both, and had been badly hurt in the process.

Unlike Bonzo, Zed seemed to have come to some sort of understanding with his inner monster. While Zed was still a little afraid of it, he was confident enough, brave enough, to actually trust his zombie side in times of crisis. Bonzo couldn't imagine ever feeling that way. He hated the way he had felt without his z-band on. It was all well and good to feel powerful, but he was horrified by the rage and the hunger.

And he was afraid of fire. So afraid that he could have caused his best friends death.

Bonzo sucked in a deep breath and released another sob, feeling more cool tears cascading down his face. How could he ever look at Zed again? Surely he would hate him, blame him for what had happened. Why wouldn't he? Bonzo deserved it.

The squeak of the doorknob turning caused him to flinch as Bree walked in, looking uncharacteristically somber.

Without a word, she crossed the room to the bed and put her arms around him.

She held him quietly as he sobbed, gently stroking his hair with her hands in tender, soothing patterns. His own sweet, personal sunbeam. He didn't deserve her, either.

"Bonzka," she said after a few minutes, turning to sit next to him on the bed.

"Talk to me."

He let out a shaking sigh, trying to collect his thoughts.

"Breeska," he whispered.

"I'm so ashamed. My best friend almost died because of me, because I was too cowardly to save myself. He'll never forgive me. How can I ever look at Zed again, knowing what I did? I'm worse than a bad friend. I put my own fears above my friend's life."

His breath hitched again.

"No!" Bree said, firmly shaking her head and looking him square in the eyes.

"No, Bonzo. That's not how friendship works. Zed won't have a problem forgiving you because there's nothing to forgive. When people are friends, they take care of each other. We're all brave about different things; just like we're all afraid of different things. Risking his life was an easy choice for him to make, because he loves you. He was strong for you when you couldn't be, just like you've been strong for him when he needed it in the past."

Bonzo let out a bitter laugh. Bitterness was also a sensation that was new to him.

"What have I ever done that's brave?"

Bree smiled that dazzling, sunshine smile. It still made his slow heart flutter, despite his inner turmoil.

"Bonzo, you are brave in a thousand different ways every day. You stay positive even when everyone else finds it impossible. You create wonderful art and music and show other people the beauty in everyday life. You are loyal and kind and caring, even when it would be easier to look out for yourself."

Bree leaned in, placing a soft, loving kiss on his bandaged forehead.

"You are brave. Every day. I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true."

Bonzo's chest felt a little less hollow with her words.

Bree was always honest. She wouldn't lie to make him feel better.

"You really think he'll still be my friend?" He asked, afraid to feel hopeful.

"You guys will always be friends."

Bonzo kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you, Breeska."

"I love you too, Bonzka."

They leaned into one another again, falling into a more comfortable silence.

For the first time since yesterday, Bonzo felt the ghost of a smile cross his face as a small flicker of hope spark to life in his chest.


	10. Chapter 10

Wynter yawned, walking alongside Willa as they approached the den. It was now late in the morning, the sun shining high in the sky. Both of the female wolves had gotten a few scattered minutes of sleep throughout the night and into the morning. While Wyatt, Willa and Eliza had spent most of the night outside, Wynter had spent a large portion of the evening holding or playing with Zoey, until the little girl finally went to sleep in her lap, sometime after sunrise. Wyatt had left for home first thing in the morning, while the two females had stayed a few hours later, resting at the Zambie house It was incredibly cute, seeing Eliza and Willa dozing on the couch, hands nearly touching.

Sitting in the quiet room, holding Zoey and watching her friends rest had warmed Wynter's rough, tough, wolfy heart.

Still, as they trudged home, Wynter was currently feeling more dead on her feet than a zombie.

She released a short chuckle at the joke, earning a strange look from her alpha.

"What was that about?" Willa asked tiredly.

"Nothing. I'm just so exhausted that my brain has started making up zombie puns."

Willa grinned.

"So what you're saying is, if a zombie were to eat your brain right now, they would be enjoying a _brain teaser_?"

Wynter snorted, taken aback by her friend's unexpected humor.

She really loved this newer, more contented version of her friend and alpha. Seeing Willa be happy made all of the wolves happy.

"Well, you know what they say, _ghouls _just wanna have fun!" Wynter joked back.

"Oh, of _corpse_. That's a no-_brainer._" Willa replied, nodding with a stern expression.

"Wow," Wynter continued. "These puns are really _rotten._"

Both of them cackled, their laughter lightly echoing off of the outer stone walls of the den as they approached the entry.

"Okay, but seriously," Wynter continued, slowing slightly.

"When are you going to tell Eliza how you feel? And don't try to deny that you're in love with her," Wynter warned, pointing a halting finger towards Willa as she opened her mouth to protest.

"I know you way too well for that."

Willa sighed, slowing to a stop and leaning against the stone entryway to their den.

"It's not that easy, Wynter." Willa sighed, feeling relief at finally giving herself the chance to discuss her fears openly.

"I am the Alpha of this pack. What will our pack say when they find out that their alpha wants to choose a mate who isn't even a wolf? I will be a disappointment to them all."

Willa hung her head, not wanting Wynter to see the sadness in her face.

Wynter stared at her, disbelieving.

"Willa, why do you think that would matter to any wolf? We are all very accepting and fluid in our relationships. We always have been."

"It's different when you're the pack leader." Willa argued back. "Alphas are supposed to be the epitome of everything 'wolf.' How can they see me as a unifying leader when I don't even want to be with someone of my own species?"

Wynter shook her head, suddenly feeling frustrated with her friend.

"Stop. Do you really think your people are so close-minded?Ouch. I mean, You would never deny us that opportunity, so don't think so little of your pack, to assume that we would deny it from you. Not to mention, being a 'unifying leader' doesn't mean keeping everything 'wolves only' anymore."

Wynter let out an exasperated sigh.

"Things have changed a lot in the last few months, ya know. Our pack isn't just wolves any more. It's wolves, humans, zombies. 'Everyone's invited,' remember? And Eliza IS pack. She helped us secure the moonstone. We're all indebted to her."

Willa was quiet as she contemplated her packmate's words.

It was true; she would never tell any of her family who they could or could not take as a mate. And she would never think less of them for choosing a mate who was not a wolf. So why had she spent months internally agonizing over things that she would never judge others for?

Now that she'd actually voiced her concerns and listened to Wynter's rebuttal, Willa suddenly felt as though she had spent all these months completely over-blowing the entire situation.

She grinned, and leaned over to envelope Wynter in a quick but crushing hug.

"You know," Willa said, feeling a grin working it's way across her face. "You're kinda smart."

"I know." Wynter replied, flipping her hair dramatically as she turned to enter the den.

"Now come on, drama wolf. Let's go get some rest. I bet Wyatt is probably snoring loud enough to scare away all the pups." Wynter grinned, fangs peeking out.

Laughing again, they both continued into the entryway to their home.

ZzZzZzZ

Addison sighed as she pulled the clean, sky blue t-shirt over her head. It smelled like the lavender detergent they used, and it was soothing to her still rattled nerves. The shower had helped though, as had the cappuccino she'd grabbed at one of the coffee shops.

Brushing out her partially dried hair, Addison glanced at her vanity mirror as the sunlight continued to flood her bright, open bedroom. Her hair seemed nearly luminous in the warm sunshine.

Every time she looked at herself, she felt an odd combination of pride, and reactionary shame. Pride because, after a lifetime of hiding herself under a wig, she was finally able to be herself. And shame, because despite loving her hair, she had grown up being told that it was something to be ashamed of, something to hide from everyone so that she could fit in.

Shame was a hard feeling to shake. But she was trying.

Zed helped at lot.

He was constantly telling her how beautiful and amazing he thought she was. And now, thanks to her weird new ability, she knew that he meant it. Addison smiled at her reflection, finishing off her hair and getting up to put her shoes back on. Grabbing up her cell phone, she sprinted downstairs and once again grabbed her mom's car keys hanging in the entryway.

Her parents had carpooled to work together today, so that Addison would be able to help her friends in Zombietown and go visit Zed. While she definitely wouldn't say that her mom and dad were happy about her relationship, they had seemed to accept that Zed wasn't going anywhere and that he made her happy, even if they didn't understand why.

They had also stopped asking her to put the wig back on, much to her relief. Though whenever her parents looked at her from across the room, she could see in their faces that they still didn't like her hair being visible to the world. She had rebelled against them where it hurt the most; their appearance.

Without the wig, she was no longer their perfectly normal daughter, in their perfectly normal family. It really seemed to throw a wrench in their obsession with looking flawless in the eye of the public.

It hurt.

Addison sighed as she started the car, rapidly backing out of their perfectly normal driveway, and driving past the rows of perfectly normal houses on a perfectly normal street, where the only thing that stuck out was her.

She wasn't sure where she belonged in this world. But wherever that might be, it definitely wasn't here.

As she turned onto the main road, she sped up.

Tall trees lined the sides of the road, becoming a green blur as she drove. She was eager to get to Zombietown, so she could pick up Zoey and Eliza and get back to Zed. She understood that some might say it was an exaggeration, but she just didn't feel complete when Zed wasn't at her side.

They were almost like two halves to a whole.

Addison had heard from many of her friends that they often wanted time away from their significant others. But she had never felt that way with her boyfriend. The more she was with Zed, the happier she felt. Honestly, the only time she'd ever wanted to be away from him was when he'd admitted to stealing her moonstone necklace from her, trying to prevent her from becoming a werewolf.

As it turned out, the move had been unnecessary.

She wasn't a wolf.

Nevertheless, she'd been furious and hurt by his actions. But even then, she hadn't been able to stay mad at him for long. In true Zed style, he had immediately made up for his mistakes. He and the other zombies had the werewolves crash Prawn together. Later the same evening, Zed hadrisked his life, to retrieve the moonstone for the wolves.

Zed had his occasional bad moments, but when it counted, he really was—

-SCREEEEEECH-

Addison screamed as she slammed her foot into the brake pedal. A figure, dark and blurry as it moved, had stopped suddenly in front of the path of her vehicle as it crossed the street. The car spun in the road, leaving black rubber streaks on the pavement as it came to as stop at an angle in the center of the street.

Standing directly next to Addison's car, eyes wide and hair slightly disheveled, was Willa.

"Willa?!" Addison shouted, opening the door to the car and stumbling out.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay? What the heck were you doing?"

Addison felt suddenly overcome with panic and worry as she approached the wolf.

"Willa, what were you thinking! I could have killed you! You could have—"

"Cheerleader!" Willa shouted, halting Addison's rambling.

"What?!" Addison shouted back, tension welling up in her for reasons she didn't immediately recognize.

"Have you seen my brother?" Willa asked.

Addison felt her breath hitch as worry rolled across her.

Abruptly, it occurred to Addison that she was only feeling anxious because Willa was anxious. Addison took in a large, calming breath, attempting to block the wolf's emotions so that they could talk. She didn't know how it was working, but suddenly Addison felt thin walls going up around the barrier of her mind. They were thin and shaky, but effectively muted the feelings. Like being yelled at through a door instead of directly into your face.

Still loud, but much easier to ignore.

"Addison!" Willa yelled directly into her face.

"Have. You. Seen. Wyatt?"

Blinking, Addison shook her head.

"No. I mean, not since last night at the hospital. Why, what's wrong?"

"Wyatt never came back to the den this morning. He left Eliza's house a little after the sun began to rise, so that he could go home and sleep. But he never made it. Wynter and I walked home a few hours after him. But when we returned to the den, he wasn't there. He's missing."

"What?" Addison asked, feeling worry of her own beginning to spark up.

"Some of the wolves and I backtracked through the trail between Zombietown and the den, hoping to pick up his scent somewhere. And we did."

Willa suddenly looked a little pale, and a small shiver seemed to run up her spine.

"What is it?" Addison asked, taken aback by Willa's slightly disturbed expression.

"He... We know he made it part of the way back home." She said, eyes darting nervously from left to right.

"He made it to the large boulder, the one that marks the halfway point on the trail."

Addison nodded.

"Then, for some reason, he left the path and ran north, like he was chasing someone. There were prints that were not his, and they seemed to have been running as well. Then, he..."

Willa paused, audibly gulping.

"I can't imagine what in the world he was thinking, but... We think he followed someone into the haunted woods."

At this, Addison's eyebrows flew up in surprise.

While she had a lot to learn still about werewolf history and culture, Addison definitely remembered the stories the wolves had told her about the so-called 'haunted woods.'

They were all afraid of that part of the forest. No one in the pack dared to venture there. She'd been told that in the haunted woods, the leaves were so thick that the sun barely shone, making it perpetually dark in there. No plants grew other than a few ferns and the tall, grey trees. No animals lived there, and it was eerily quiet even in the daytime.

"At night," Wyatt once told her, "If you walk along the treeline into the haunted woods, you will hear the sounds of rocks scraping together and voices humming in the distance. Some say that those sounds are evil spirits of the forest. Others say that the forests are filled with ghosts, trapped within the woods and unable to move on."

They had been sitting together in a big circle of humans, zombies and wolves.

Two or so months ago, they had all began the now-weekly tradition of meeting in the woods and telling stories around a small fire (despite the increasing number of attendees, they always kept the fire small so that the zombies wouldn't freak out). Addison remembered how she had snuggled into Zed's side as she listened to Wyatt speak. She had glanced up to see that Zed, eyes wide and attentive, was also wrapped up in the scary story. His expression was adorable.

"Our pack does not go there, especially at night. That's when whatever is out there is most active. And our elders say that anyone who is foolish enough to enter the haunted woods," Wyatt dropped his voice lower, "will be forever changed by what they find there. That is, if whatever's out there doesn't just eat... them... UP!"

At that moment, Wynter and a couple of other wolves had jumped out from behind the rocks and bushes, roaring loudly and causing Addison to yelp, and Zed and Eliza to jump from their seats. Bucky (who was trying to become more accepting by attending the weekly bonfires) went screaming and tumbling over backwards into another male zombie.

The entire group had roared with laughter.

It had been a good night.

One of many with all of her wonderful friends, together in the forest.

But despite the lighthearted memory, Addison knew that Wyatt and the other wolves were legitimately afraid of the haunted woods. In fact, Wyatt himself had once told her that he would never go there, not even for a whole bucket of Coach's 'peanut butter and bones' frozen yogurt.

Addison nodded absentmindedly, then beckoned to Willa.

"Come on," Addison said.

"Get in the car. I'm going to pick up Zoey and Eliza to go to the hospital. We can check both places that way. And then, we can form a game plan."

Willa followed her lead and leapt into the passenger's side of the tiny car. She then leaned out of the open car window, releasing a series of howls into the sky. The howls were faintly echoed by a multitude of replying howls, coming from all directions.

"Just letting the other searchers know what the plan is." Willa explained to a slightly confused looking Addison as she buckled her seat belt.

"The scent and the trail he left tell me that he very likely went into the haunted woods. But before I send the pack or anyone else in there, I want to eliminate other places first."

"Don't worry," Addison said as she drove towards Zombietown.

"I'm sure we'll find him."


	11. Chapter 11

Author's note: Woo! I don't know about y'all, but this last week has been intense! Between having my kids and husband home all day, and being an "essential" worker, I'm getting a little bit tired. Thus, I'm gonna go ahead and publish this, and correct any typos later on today.

But minor apocalypse aside, I am still excited!

Thanks for continuing to read, your likes and reviews make my day!

ZzZzZzZ

It was dark and cool when Wyatt awoke. He sighed, shifting lightly as he tried to get into a more comfortable position. Hopefully he could go to right back to sleep. The den seemed abnormally quiet. Even in the dead of night, there were usually echoes of whispers and shuffled movement. Living within an enclosed space, even a large one, normally meant that there was never really a silent moment. Also, his bed was much harder than normal. And it smelled different.

Wyatt's eyes snapped open.

He wasn't in the den.

He rolled onto his back, hoping to maybe see the sky or a star or two that might give him some direction. But the only thing he saw was a smooth stone ceiling, which reflected a soft blue light.

Turning to face the opposite wall, he saw a woman. Well, a girl, anyway, who looked about 16 or 17 in the dim blue light. Said dim blue light was, in fact, radiating gently out of her curly white hair. It almost looked like fireflies were flitting around her head, tiny blue-white lights radiating down each strand and creating a glow bright enough to light the room. The glowing curls framed a diminutive, heart-shaped face, with abnormally light green eyes. Her frame was petite, and she was probably less than five feet tall.

"Hi Wyatt. How are you feeling? You hit the ground pretty hard when you fell."

She looked a little guilty.

"Sorry about that, by the way."

Her voice had a strange but pleasant warbling to it, like her vocal chords were formed slightly different than his.

"Uhh..."

Wyatt wasn't sure exactly what to say in response. He felt like he should be anxious, or worried, or at least mad at this person for bringing him here. But rather than anger, he felt an almost oppressive calmness wash over him. He wasn't worried at all. It was nice, but it was also definitely not right.

"Why is your hair glowing?" He asked instead of replying to her question.

She smiled.

"It's bioluminescent. We live underground, so we evolved to provide our own light rather than relying on fire or electricity. We can even adjust it to make it brighter or darker, depending on the situation or how we feel."

Her grin widened.

"Pretty neat, huh?"

Despite his complete confusion, Wyatt couldn't help but return her smile with a small half-grin.

She seemed nice. Whatever she was.

"What are you, exactly?"

"I'm a Lunite. My people come from the moon that orbits this planet. But this colony has been here for a very long time."

"The _moon_?" Wyatt managed, anticipating the flood of shock and confusion, but still only being able to feel the oppressive calmness.

"Uh, can I ask you something?"

"Sure!" She replied enthusiastically.

"This is going to sound weird, but... Why am I not completely freaking out right now? I mean, you guys knocked me out, and apparently moved me to some undisclosed underground location. You just told me you're from the _moon_, for howling out loud. I should be totally wolfing out right now. I should be upset, and I have every right to be. But, instead, I'm ridiculously calm."

His brows furrowed slightly, eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"Wait, did you... did you guys drug me or something?"

At this, she let out a soft but sincere laugh, her eyes closing briefly as she tossed her head back and waved a hand at him, as if to wave away the accusation.

"Oh my stars, no! We would never do that. No, you are calm right now because I am transferring my calmness to you. I thought you might be afraid when you woke up, and I didn't want you to be. We don't want to hurt you."

"Ah. Well, would you mind... not doing that? I get that you mean well, but I don't like not being in control over my own emotions. It's kind of weird and unpleasant."

She nodded solemnly.

"I understand, and I will stop. But please don't try to attack me or anything, agreed?"

"Agreed."

Wyatt quickly sat up, feeling the faux calm melting off of him, immediately replaced with trepidation and irritability.

He tried to stamp it down. She was not being threatening, and he wanted to get answers from her. It would be hard to do that if his wolf took over and tried to eviscerate her.

"Okay," he breathed, holding up his hands to indicate he didn't mean her harm.

"Okay. Thanks. I feel, well, not better, but..."

He exhaled shakily.

"Of course." She said, again smiling softly, green eyes reflecting the blue light framing her face and shoulders.

"I know you have questions. I have some too. But why don't you ask yours first, and then we can get to mine. Sound fair, Wyatt?"

He considered this, then nodded slowly.

"I can agree to that. First off; Who are you, where am I, and how do you know my name?"

She giggled.

"That's technically three questions, but I'll answer them nevertheless. First, my name is Mayar. It means 'moonglow.'"

Mayar grinned widely, gesturing with pride around the small stone room.

"And, secondly, these are my people's caverns, where we live! Specifically, you are currently in my room, off of the main cavern system where we reside. We call this section of the caverns 'The Crater.' We carved most of these out centuries ago."

_Centuries ago?_ Wyatt felt his mouth pop open slightly, but Mayar continued speaking.

"We even have tunnels that go all over the forest, Seabrook, and Zombietown. That's how I know your name, and how we know about everyone who lives in the Above. We only go Above at night, and even then it's a rare , during the day there are almost always scouts out in the tunnels. We keep up with everything that's happening in the Above, as we have for over nine hundred years."

She placed a hand fondly onto the rock wall beside her.

"We enjoy storytelling, my people. When you live underground, stories are both entertainment and a peek into how other beings are getting along in the Above. We listen to all of you. Wolves, humans, zombies. We hear all of your thoughts and feel all of your emotions, and we learn about you all. In a way, I probably know you better than you know yourself, Wyatt. I frequently choose scouting assignments in the wolves' forest, because I find you all _so_ fascinating!"

He tried and failed to repress a grin at her enthusiasm, feeling his fangs brushing his lips as the smile spread across his face.

"So, you can read minds?"

"Yes! In addition to our bioluminescent hair, we also have the ability to hear and manipulate emotions. And, as you saw earlier in our woods, we can also force someone to fall asleep, if the situation is dire. We are not violent beings, for the most part, so these abilities help keep us safe by diffusing situations preemptively."

He nodded, feeling anger trying to work it's way out but once again restraining it. What was done was done.

"I can understand that. But, you said you don't go outside during the day, and this morning there were three of you running in the haunted woods. Why were you out? Apparently you've been here for hundreds of years, and none of us on the surface have ever seen you before today, as far as I know.

So what in the world would bring you outside in the daytime?"

Her ever-present cheerfulness seemed to dim a little.

"Ah, that." Mayar sighed, apparent worry creating a tiny crease in her forehead.

Unexpectedly, she reached out and lightly took his hand.

"Actually, the reason we were in the Above this morning involves the same reason that I am hoping you and your friends may be willing to help us."

Wyatt arched an eyebrow, raising his free hand in a gesture which indicated that she should continue.

"Everyone in the Seabrook area may be in grave danger."

His nostrils flared, the sudden seriousness of her tone making his inner wolf go on high alert.

"What? Why?"

"The second moonstone, the one that crashed in Zombietown last night. It is vital that we retrieve and secure it as soon as possible. If we don't, the consequences could be catastrophic."

ZzZzZzZ

Zoey sat on the front stoop of the Zambie home, watching the commotion down the street with interest. Near the Unificatinon Gate, several large, white tents had seemingly appeared overnight, unnoticed amid the chaos of the fires. Now several grown-ups, mostly humans, were scurrying about the area. They were talking on walkie-talkies, carrying around strange equipment, and putting up tape to keep everyone else out of the area. A few of them wore weird, plastic white outfits that went from their feet to their heads, with big masks and goggles covering their faces

A little while ago, Addison and Willa had come by the house, picking up Eliza, Bree and Bonzo. Zoey had really, really wanted to go see her brother. However, Addison had said that there was a "minor emergency" with the wolves, and that it would probably be a good idea to stay home for now.

Zoey had felt a pang in her chest at that statement, because this _wasn't _her home. Addison had seemed to immediately regret her choice of words, pulling Zoey in for a tight hug. She hadn't tried to baby her or tell her everything was fine, like other grownups did. She had just hugged her tightly, and told Zoey that she was brave an strong and good.

Zoey really liked Addison.

She hoped Zed would marry her.

As Zoey continued to watch the grownups, a shiny black car pulled up next to the white tents. Zoey stood on her tiptoes for a clearer view, absentmindedly fiddling with on of the decorative lampshades that graced the exterior of Eliza's house.

The driver's door opened, and a very strange-looking man in a black suit stepped out of the vehicle. He had white hair, like Addison's, but with white eyebrows to match. His hair was longer than any man's she'd ever seen, pulled back neatly into a braid at the back of his head. He looked like he was about the same age as Zoey's dad, and he instantly gave Zoey the creeps.

Her eyes widened, and she quickly hopped down from the stoop and hid behind the gate, hoping for a closer view. As she watched, he pulled out a phone and briefly spoke into it. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but could tell that he had a weird, warbled voice that made hairs stand up on her neck. Zoey didn't know why, but she knew instantly that this guy was someone she wanted to stay away from.

Then, his head seemed to tilt to the side, and he quickly finished the call and hung up the cell phone.

The next thing he did was like something out of a scary movie, the ones Addy and Zed would watch together on the couch when Zoey was already in bed.

The white haired man put his phone into his pocket, and slowly turned his head to look directly at her. Zoey felt her eyes grow wide as he stared her down. She was too scared to move.

He didn't move any closer, but Zoey could feel his eyes boring directly into hers as she stood, too terrified to do anything other than stand there. The man smiled at her, a chilling smile with no kindness or warmth in it whatsoever. Then, he laughed, tipped his head in her direction, and turned away.

As soon as he had turned, Zoey let out a squeaking yelp, and turned to flee back up the stoop and into the Zambie house.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's note: Hey wonderful peeps!

I hope you are all doing okay out there in Quarantine Land, and I hope that getting a chapter update helps to brighten up your day!

Stay safe. Wash your hands. Leave a review. lol.

ZzZzZzZ

Zed stared with trepidation towards the tray of food the nurse had placed in front of him, poking at it gingerly with a plastic spork. Apparently, the hospital did not allow zombie patients to use forks and knives, due to their "violent tendencies." He rolled his eyes at the policy, trying unsuccessfully to jab at a bite of what looked like it may once have been a beet. It rolled away from the spork to the other side of the tray, leaving a slimy maroon trail behind it.

Sighing, he slid the tray and table back and away, sitting back and gazing at the room around him. After sleeping for most of the night and a large amount of the morning, he was now getting a little stir crazy. He wanted to get up and do something. The television mounted to the wall was on the local news station, and was currently announcing the upcoming Shore Day Festival.

Shore Day was a long standing yearly Seabrook tradition, celebrating the day that the founders of Seabrook discovered the land that the town would be built on. Of course, everyone knew now that the founders of Seabrook were not, in fact, the first people to settle the area. But, in any case, the town now held a yearly festival in the fall, where citizens congregated at the beach for games, food, music and generalized merrymaking. Many people also had cookouts and camped on the beach afterward. At night, a boat would go out on the water and put on a fireworks display.

Of course, Zed had never been.

Though the school had become integrated last year, it had taken a little bit longer for other areas of the town to catch up. Now, though, the beach was open to everyone; people, zombies, and werewolves alike. So naturally, Zed was pumped to go to Shore Day and spend the day with Addison and all of their friends. He'd been saving up his money for the last few months to spend on games and food. Zed had seen several romantic movie scenes, where the guy would win a stuffed animal for their girlfriend at a carnival game. He was determined to win one for Addison. Preferably a gigantic, oversized one that was too large to carry.

"In other local news," the somber news anchor continued, "A mysterious explosion in Zombietown last night has left the Zombie community in shambles."

Zed wondered if the 'shambles' comment was a slip or an intentional joke, but the news anchor quickly continued.

"Some time shortly before midnight last night, a large explosion occurred, setting fires to multiple homes and businesses, and completely destroying the Unification Gate."

The screen changed from the man's stern face, switching to a daytime view of Zombietown. Zed felt his insides twist as he took in the devastation on the tiny television screen. Several homes were blackened, bricks cracked from the intense heat and multiple roofs partially or completely caved in. The damaged buildings were still releasing plumes of white smoke into the morning sky.

"For more information, we now go to our Zombietown correspondent, Zenaidah."

The camera view switched, moving to the face of a female zombie with her green hair in a tight, no-nonsense updo.

"Thank you, Rashaad. The scene in Zombietown this morning is one of devastation and disorientation. Last night, at approximately 11:20 pm, a mysterious explosion rocketed through this section of Zombietown, damaging many homes and businesses. The cause of the explosion is currently unknown. Eyewitnesses say that they believe that they saw a large, burning object falling from the sky; however, this has not been confirmed by Z-Patrol or other Seabrook officials."

The camera focused on the center of the street, down from Zed's house, where several white tents and a series of crime scene tape had been put up around the site of the apparent explosion. Zed watched as men in hazmat suits walked from tent to tent, carrying various instruments and pieces of equipment.

It looked like something out of a sci-fi movie.

As Zed watched, he noticed an unusual looking man to the side of the frame, behind the zombie reporter.

It was a man wearing an all black suit, with a neatly braided mane of long, white hair.

...White hair?

Zed leaned in, ignoring both the jabbing sensation in his upper torso and the droning voice of the reporter. There was only one other person he'd ever seen with hair that shade of white, and that was Addison.

The white-haired guy was not particularly tall, but carried himself with confidence. Zed could now see him conversing with two other adults in hazmat suits, nodding and gesturing towards the tents as he spoke. Though Zed was sure he'd never seen this man before, because this was a person he would definitely remember, he still looked oddly familiar to him. Zed squinted his eyes, wishing the television had a bigger screen.

He didn't know why, but the guy with the white hair gave him the creeps.

The hospital room door opened suddenly, causing Zed to jump and then wince, biting back a yelp of discomfort. A flood of his friends walked into the cramped room. Eliza, Willa, Bree, Bonzo and Addison bustled in, partially shutting the door behind them.

"Zed," Willa asked, looking uncharacteristically frantic.

"Have you seen Wyatt?"

He blinked.

"Ah, no. Why would he be here?"

Addison cut in, placing a supporting hand on Willa's shoulder.

"Wyatt's missing, Zed. He came here with Willa last night to make sure you and Bonzo were okay, and then they went back to Zombietown with Eliza to help put out the fires."

Zed was momentarily sidetracked, feeling touched and slightly surprised at the wolves apparent concern and actions. He knew they were his friends, but honestly hadn't anticipated this level of care and kindness, and it warmed his cool heart.

Addison continued.

"Early this morning, he left Eliza's house to go home, but he never made it to the den. We think we might know where he his, but we're checking on the places he was last night to cover our bases."

Zed tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"If you guys think that you know where he is, why would you not go there first?"

"Because, Zombie," Willa snapped quietly. "We think Wyatt may have followed someone into the haunted woods. I wanted to exhaust other possibilities before I sent others into those particular woods to search for him."

Zed felt his eyes widen, an involuntary shiver sliding up his back.

He remembered the story Wyatt had told them at the fire circle, and recalled comments from multiple others in the pack regarding the haunted woods. He couldn't imagine anyone wanting to go in there.

"Unfortunately," Willa went on in a voice strung tight with anxiety, "that seems to be the next logical step."

She instantly turned on her heel and addressed the others.

"Come on, let's go."

"Wait!" Zed cried, moving to swing his legs over the bed and biting down on his lip to try and mask the expression of discomfort.

"I need to come with you, I can help!"

Addison immediately shook her head.

"Zed, no way! You aren't even discharged from the hospital yet, and you can't go running around the forest in the shape you're in!"

Zed looked at her eyes, which were filled with worry as she placed a soothing hand to his face.

"You have to sit this one out for me, okay, super zombie?"

She looked at him pleadingly.

"Addy, I..."

Worry twisted his stomach as he looked at her and his friends.

"Zed," Willa said, making an effort to sound cordial, "It means a lot that you want to help. But you are out of commission right now, and you would only slow us down."

Willa turned to the others.

"Let's go."

They quickly filtered out, Bonzo meeting Zed's eyes with an expression Zed didn't quite understand as his friends left the room..

Addison leaned in, kissing him gently.

Zed kissed her back with more passion, quickly raising his good hand to cradle the back of her head. They both took in a deep breath as Addison abruptly pulled back.

"I swear, I'll text you or call you the minute we find anything out, okay?" Addison said, squeezing his hand before moving for the door.

"Addy, please-" he started, feeling worry bubbling up as he watched her leave.

"Stay here, Zed. I love you." She shot him a pained, apologetic expression as she rushed out the door.

Zed sat frozen, staring at the door for a few minutes as he processed the short conversation that had just taken place.

His friend Wyatt was missing, possibly in the haunted woods. And now, his girlfriend and best friends were going there as well, to one of the creepiest places he'd ever heard of. And he was supposed to just sit here?

No. Not likely.

After only a few minutes of squabbling with his conscience, Zed was decided.

Quietly slipping out of the bed, he slid on his extremely sooty pants and shoes that had been folded and placed on a table in the corner of the room. They smelled like smoke. Moving to the other side of the bed where his dad had been sitting, Zed grabbed the Seabrook Power jacket that was resting on the seat of the chair. It would have to work. His shirt had been thrown out, since it was too damaged to be salvageable.

Tucking the jacket around him to hide his brace and lack of a shirt, Zed quickly strode out of the door and down the hallway.

ZzZzZzZ

Addison felt like there was a weight in her stomach as she drove, the car packed with her friends and filled with tense silence as she drove closer to the Forbidden Forest. She couldn't stop thinking about Zed's pleading, helpless face as he'd sat on the bed, begging her not to leave.

Though her weird new talent had now been put on the back burner, she couldn't help but hear Zed's panicked concern for not only Wyatt's safety, but for her and their other friends as well.

Truthfully, concern for her safety was his first and foremost concern. Mingled in amongst the concern was fear, guilt, and panic. He felt like he would be failing them all by not helping. He was scared that they were going into the haunted woods.

Addison had wanted to sit and talk to him about his fears, but there just wasn't time. It was now mid-afternoon, and no one had seen Wyatt since this morning. They couldn't even file a missing person's report until the following day with Seabrook officials, so they were on their own. They needed to search for him anywhere they could, even if it was a place no one wanted to go to.

She rounded a tight curve, gripping the steering wheel as trees thickened and became taller around them. The plan was to park at the campground closest to the haunted woods, and make their way inward from there. They would form a line, spreading out across the woods as they walked while still staying within sight of one another. This way they could cover more ground without the risk of getting lost themselves. Even for Willa, these woods were unexplored territory.

The road narrowed as the woods became increasingly thick, and soon they were at the turn-off to the campground. Addison quickly parked the car in the gravel parking area, and they all stepped out and into the bright afternoon sun. She listened as wind shuffled drying leaves, sounding like the voices of many people whispering at once. It wasn't that cool, but she shivered anyway.

Willa instructed them to follow her, and they all trudged into the woods, with no path but a capable wolf to guide them. It was about a miles walk into the forest to reach the edge of the haunted woods.

Other than whispered comments, they were all unusually quiet, all feeling extremely anxious about both their missing friend and what they were about to do. Leaves crunched underfoot all around them as they walked, breaking up the constricting silence that pervaded the entire group. Addison felt the muted but strong waves of love coming from Eliza, and looked over to see that Eliza had taken Willa's hand as they walked.

Addison smiled gently at her friends, their fingers interlaced as they moved forward, but didn't have time to dwell on it.

"Here." Willa said, stopping abruptly and letting go of Eliza's hand.

They all looked forward.

The haunted woods had an entirely different feel and appearance than the rest of the forest.

It was dim, with thick tree cover seeming to obscure an abnormal amount of sunlight. There were no animals scurrying or making noise anywhere. The forest floor was blanketed with a thick layer of gray, colorless leaves. A low gust of wind blew around them as they stood at the border between the two very different sections of forest, moving locks of Addison's hair across her face.

For a moment, the group stood immobilized.

Then, Addison's cheer captain skills kicked into gear.

They could do this.

"Alright. Everyone spread out. We're going to walk forward in a single line, spaced out to get more coverage. But stay close, because we need to stick together and be able to communicate. If anyone sees or hears anything, just shout, and we'll all come to help if needed."

Addison straightened her back, steeling herself as she stared forward into the dimly lit thicket of gray.

"Let's go!"

With that, they all moved into position, spacing out along the border, and then moved forward as one unit.


	13. Chapter 13

Their feet padded softly against the bed of graying leaves that rested on the forest floor as they marched forward. Willa sniffed the air as she walked, belatedly wishing that she had brought a few more wolves along with them into the haunted woods. Her zombie friends had heightened senses as well, it was true. But it would have been handy to have more people who were trained to smell and track. But she was not going to waste precious time now by stopping and diverting wolves from the other search parties.

She needed to find her brother.

Willa had spent much of her childhood being annoyed by Wyatt. That's what little brothers did. Annoy their older sisters. He was always so frustratingly positive, always grinning and finding the bright side of every situation.

Though she'd never once told him, she truly and sincerely loved his optimism. On more than one occasion, Wyatt had been the only thing that kept her going. This was especially so during those bleak years before they had finally been reunited with the moonstone.

Once, when they were very young, one of the elders, Waylan, had died, after his necklace had finally lost it's charge. He had been their great-uncle, and Willa had taken it hard. Though she had only been ten at the time, she had already been designated as the next alpha of the pack.

Willa had felt that her uncle's death was, somehow, her fault. Not even leading the pack yet, and already she felt like she had failed. She hadn't kept him safe, she hadn't been able to protect him like she had been called to do.

For over a day, she had hidden herself away in a dark corner of the den, curled into a tight ball as she grieved and despaired in her own inadequacy.

Wyatt had been eight at the time.

After she had sat, secluded in darkness for over a day and a half, he had approached her. He had crawled his way through the very cramped tunnel, reaching her and sitting beside her for a while.

Then, he had reached out a hand to her.

In Wyatt's hand, a small , smooth black stone rested. In the center of it, a tiny white crystal glittered in the dimly lit tunnel.

"When one of our packmates leaves us, they don't really leave, you know?" Wyatt had stated.

She had continued to sit curled into the rock wall, not responding but still listening.

"They don't leave, they're just with us in a different way. They're the smell of the woods, the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. And they are the stars that glitter down to us at night, pointing the way for us."

He sat the stone on the ground, and slid it over to her. Reaching down, she picked it up and stared at the tiny, sparkling crystal in the center.

"You will be a great alpha someday, Sister. You are great now. But whatever you are or whatever you become, you can't try to take on the guilt and responsibility for everything that goes wrong.

People are born, and people die. It's always been that way. But they aren't really gone. Not really."

At that, Wyatt had become silent.

They had sat there for some time, in the quiet dimness of the tunnel. Somehow, with his ridiculously optimistic attitude and a silly little rock, Wyatt had made one of the worst days of her life better.

Willa reached her hand into her pocket as she trudged through the haunted woods, grasping the tiny black stone. She still kept it with her at all times, even years later.

When she found Wyatt, and she _would_ find him, she vowed to tell him how much he meant to her and how grateful she was to have him as a brother.

Above them, the sun was moving further and further towards the horizon, though in these dense woods it felt like it was already dusk. The thought of being here overnight made Willa shudder. All of the childhood stories about the evil spirits that dwelled here circulated through her head. While she would certainly do it for her brother, she sincerely hoped that their group would find some sort of clue before then.

As if on cue, Bree called out to the others, pointing at a tree branch that was eye level with her.

Together, they all converged to see what Bree was pointing at.

Willa leaned in, examining the strands of curly white hair that were tangled on the branch,. It looked as though someone had gotten their hair snagged on it as they sped past. The hair was the same color as Addison's, but it was a completely different texture. Rather than being smooth and straight, this lock of hair was a messy tangle of tight, spiraling curls. It almost matched Willa's what streak of hair.

"Oh my gosh."

Addison had moved forward, leaning in to examine the hair.

She gingerly reached forward, gently grasping and examining the lock of hair.

"It... It's like mine."

Eyes wide, Addison turned to look at her friends, apparently at a complete loss for words.

Willa leaned in as well, inhaling the scent of the hair and immediately recognizing it as the scent she had picked up on earlier in the day, when they had first tried to retrace Wyatt's steps. Her mind raced, trying to sort together the puzzle pieces.

Whenever Wyatt had apparently entered the haunted woods, he had probably been following the owner of this hair. Hair that was identical to Addison's, the only person she'd ever met with snowy white locks.

What in the world was going on?

Suddenly, to her right, she heard a distant but distinctly familiar howl.

"Wyatt!" Willa gasped, immediately breaking into a run as she howled out in return.

She could distantly hear the footfalls of their friends running behind her, clearly unable to match her suddenly fast pace.

They'd just have to catch up. She was a wolf on a mission.

Up ahead of her, there was a craggy formation of white and grey rocks. They looked almost las though they had been chipped off of the moon itself. But while it looked like a mostly natural formation, she noticed a narrow space between the two largest rocks, about three feet wide.

And there, standing a few paces back within the rock formation, was her brother, standing in front of a petite figure with curly white hair. When he saw her, his face instantly broke into a smile, as he sprinted out to meet her.

Wyatt let out a muffled "oof," as she collided with him, nearly knocked off of his feet by her momentum. The others quickly caught up, panting and struggling to catch their breath.

"Wyatt! What happened to you, are you-" Eliza abruptly cut off her questioning as they saw the small, curly haired girl quietly emerge from within the rock formation. Willa let out a protective snarl, releasing her brother and feeling her necklace surge with power as she moved to shield him from the stranger.

"Woah, Willa! Stop, calm down." Wyatt immediately said, as he put a hand on each of her shoulders in an attempt to calm her.

"She's okay, she's nice. Her name is Mayar."

Willa did not move forward to attack, but kept her eyes trained on the girl.

But the girl, Mayar, was not looking at her.

Mayar was looking directly at Addison, who was staring back with her mouth slightly open.

She raised a hand to her chest as she took a small step towards Addison, her expression softening and a small, almost sad smile now resting across her delicate features.

"Starlight," Mayar said to Addison. "I am so glad to finally be able to meet you."

ZzZzZzZ

Zed jogged down the road feeling a trail of sweat roll down his forehead. He was headed towards the nearest trail, which would lead to where he was pretty sure the haunted woods sat. His injuries protested with each leaping step, and he did his best to ignore it. The physical activity was probably not good for him, but he didn't really care at the moment. He could focus on healing later. Right now, Zed just wanted to find Addison and the others, and make sure that they were safe.

It occurred to him that his actions were probably going to make a few people angry.

His dad, for example, would be extremely upset at him for escaping the hospital.

Zed probably should have left a note or something.

He had always been a fairly reactionary person, often jumping into a plan or idea full-tilt before ever stopping to consider his actions. It could be a good quality, making decisions on the fly. It was one of the things that made Zed good at football. At other times, though, it was definitely not his best character trait.

But it was too late to worry about all of that now.

He would glady take whatever punishment his dad handed out to him, as long as the others were alright. Zed thought about Addison and the others, lost or worse in the dense, grey woods, and attempted to speed up.

At this rate, it would take hours for him to catch up to them.

He was a fast runner, but that section of the Forbidden Forest was pretty far out.

Behind Zed, a car honked, causing him to jerk in surprise and sending another sharp flare of pain throughout his upper body. He slowed to a stop, turning to face the car that had honked, which had now pulled up beside him.

It was a sleek black car, with blacked out windows. Zed leaned down and panted, trying to peer into the passenger's side window but only seeing his reflection.

Wow. He looked rough.

As he gazed at his reflection, the window automatically rolled down.

Inside the car, in the driver's seat, was a man with pale blue eyes, white eyebrows, and a long braid of matching white hair.

_The man I saw on the news earlier. _Zed realized with a small jolt of shock.

"Young man," the man stated in an odd, undulating voice. "You look like you could use a ride."

Zed heard the clicking sound as the door was unlocked, but hesitated.

Just a few hours ago, when he had seen this guy on the television, he had given Zed a major case of the heebie jeebies.

But now, as Zed looked into the car at the man, he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of trust. He wasn't sure why, but Zed instantly sensed that this was a person who could be relied upon.

And he desperately needed a faster way to get to the woods.

"Yes sir," Zed replied politely. " I need to get to the Forbidden Forest. It's urgent."

The man gestured towards the passenger's seat, smiling.

"Get in, son. I'd be glad to take you there."

Zed looked up and down the road, hesitating for a brief moment, then opened the door and climbed into the front seat.

He pulled the door closed, and the black car instantly began to drive forward.


	14. Chapter 14

Addison stared back at the girl, trying to wrap her mind around what she was seeing and hearing. The fair-haired girl, who looked about 17 years old, was still staring at her, hand to her heart and a strangely emotional expression on her face.

The silence dragged out for several seconds, but no one spoke. Addison stared at her while she stared back, with the others twisting their heads quizzically back and forth between the two.

"... My name is Addison." Addison finally said in a slow, careful voice.

The girl's eyes widened slightly as Addison spoke.

"Oh!" She replied. "Oh, yes. I know that. I'm sorry."

She took a timid step forward and reached out to Addison, gently grabbing a lock of Addison's hair and holding it up next to her own tight, snowy curls. As their two locks of hair touched, Addison felt as though a tiny electrical surge traveled from her head to her fingertips, and both girls' hair instantly emanated a muted blue light.

"You have no idea how happy I am to meet you, Addison. My name is Mayar." The girl said, blue light reflecting in her eyes. "I have a lot to tell you."

Addison suddenly felt unable to speak as she heard her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

This was it._ This was it. _She had finally found someone who was just like her, after a lifetime of never quite belonging anywhere. Her head was spinning slightly. She had spent her whole life asking herself so many questions. But now that there was someone in front of her who might actually have the answers, she was suddenly afraid to hear them.

She stood, frozen and conflicted, until Willa suddenly rounded on Wyatt and began shouting at him.

"Wyatt!" Willa nearly screeched. "What in the world happened? What are you doing out here? You scared me to death!"

She shook her brother's shoulders with each question and statement.

Addison noticed that Willa's hands were shaking, and she could feel the confusing cocktail of relief and fury pulsing from her friend.

Wyatt's head bobbled in place as he attempted to disentangle himself from his frantic sister.

"Willa!" He replied, his voice wobbling with each shake.

"Willa-could you-please-stop that?!"

Wyatt wrenched himself free, straightening his vest and now slightly disheveled hair.

Mayar placed a hand on Wyatt's shoulder.

"She was just worried about you," Mayer said, giving Willa a sympathetic smile. "Don't be irritated with her. Siblings are supposed to worry about each other."

At this statement, Mayar turned to face Addison once again.

Addison was finally able to recover her voice.

"Wyatt, are you okay? We were all so worried about you. The other wolves are out searching everywhere right now."

Wyatt shot her a cheery half-grin, reaching out to offer her a fist bump.

"I'm fine. And I'm sorry I scared you guys. But I have so much to tell you! Well, Mayar does anyway. There's an entire other species of creatures that live out here in the haunted woods! They're called Lunites, and they came from the moon and live underground, and they can read people's thoughts!"

Willa reached out again, examining her brother's face and head and then shooting an accusatory glare at Mayar behind him.

"What did you do to my brother?" She demanded. "Did you hit his head or something? He's speaking gibberish."

"I'm sorry," Addison interrupted, suddenly feeling overwhelmed as apprehension slithered up her back. She had only partially comprehended what Wyatt had been rambling, but the last part of his statement had caught her attention.

"Did you just say she can read minds?"

Things suddenly clicked into place in Addison's head.

This girl, Mayar, looked like her. And, like her, Mayar and her people, whoever they were, had the same mind reading skills that Addison had suddenly obtained overnight.

"Who... What are you?" Addison asked, not quite feeling prepared to hear the answer.

She could sense Mayar's emotions and thoughts much more clearly than the others, though still not as clear as Zed's. Mayar seemed to be feeling a mixture of sadness and joy. She was hoping that Addison would like her, and that they would get to know one another. Addison could tell that Mayar wanted to hug her, but that she was trying to respect Addison's space.

Mayar grinned, and Addison realized that Mayar was listening to her inner evaluation of the situation.

_Starlight, don't be worried._ Mayar's voice spoke in her head.

_Everything is going to be okay. I promise I'll explain everything._

A sudden thought popped into Addison's head. If Mayar could communicate to her telepathically, maybe she could reply in the same way.

_Why do you keep calling me 'Starlight?' _Addison asked.

_And how are we able to communicate like this?_

Mayar moved her shoulder up and down in a half-shrug.

_This is how our people often speak to one another. _Your_ people. And I'm calling you 'Starlight' because that was the name you were given when you were young._

Addison gasped.

_When I was young? What are you saying?_

"Um, hello?" Eliza interrupted, waving her hand between the two girls in annoyance.

"What are you guys doing? You're just staring at each other and making a bunch of weird facial expressions."

Addison's friends were all looking at them with puzzled expressions, all except for Wyatt.

His mouth was slightly open, as an apparent realization struck him.

"She's one of you, isn't she, Mayar?" He asked, eyes wide.

"Addison is a Lunite too."

Before anyone could reply to Wyatt, a loud, horrific roar echoed through the dense grey trees.

Addison jumped, turning and looking out into the quickly darkening woods. The sun was setting.

For a moment, everyone stood, alert and scanning the trees to find the source of the noise. They all seemed to instinctively move into a circle, all of them facing outward so that the group would be protected on all sides.

It was quiet for a moment, the only sound was the breathing of everyone around her.

Then, a creature burst forth from a particularly dense thicket of trees and brush, with enough force to partially tear one of the trees from the soil. An earsplitting roar vibrated in her ears as the feral zombie catapulted itself towards them, making a bee-line for Mayar.

"Look ou—" Wyatt started, but his warning wasn't fast enough.

Mayar raised a hand in defense towards the enraged zombie, and then let out a short and shrill yelp of distress as she was tackled to the ground.

Everyone immediately moved in to pull the feral zombie off of her, but he was no longer moving or attacking. Reaching her first, Wyatt rolled the zombie, who was wearing a Seabrook Power jacket, away from Mayar, checking to ensure that she wasn't injured.

Addison looked down at the zombie, who was now apparently unconscious, and let out a small cry.

It was Zed.

And though he was sleeping, he was also completely feral. His eyes were dark and reddened, with black veins spread throughout his face and body. And no z-band to be found.

Addison scrambled to his side, heart pounding, as she looked him over. She immediately began searching for his z-band. But it wasn't on him, nor was it in any of his pockets. What were they going to do?

"Zed!" Addison yelled.

"Zed! Wake up, what happened? Zed!"

"He's alright," Mayar said, holding her head gingerly as Wyatt helped her into a sitting position.

"He's just asleep."

Sticks and leaves were tangled throughout Mayar's hair as she looked from Addison to Zed.

"What did you do to him?" Addison rounded on her. "What is going on?!"

Mayar sighed, looking at Zed's still form on the forest floor.

"It seems that Zed has met Charon."

ZzZzZzZ

_Earlier..._

Zed sat tensely in the passenger's seat as the car drove, watching the trees blur past as they picked up speed.

"So, young man, why exactly are you heading into the Forbidden Forest?"

Zed looked back towards the driver, who was leaning back leisurely into the car seat as he steered the vehicle. While Zed didn't know much about suits, or cars for that matter, he knew that both things in this case were extremely expensive and high-end. The man's hair was smooth and well-cared for, plaited into a perfectly centered braid at the nape of his neck. His eyes were like a replica of Addison's; a vibrant, crystalline blue.

"I'm just... I'm worried about my friends." Zed said as he continued to stare out the window.

"They went to the haunted woods earlier today, looking for another friend, and I just..."

He exhaled.

"I'm worried."

"Clearly, if you're willing to break out of a hospital to go and find them." The man commented pleasantly.

"How did you—" Zed started.

"I caught a glimpse of your shoulder brace." The man said with a chuckle. "Plus, no offense, but you look like something the cat dragged in. I'm sorry to hear about the misfortune in Zombietown, by the way."

It actually didn't sound like he was that sorry about it at all, but Zed was too tense to dwell on it much. This man made him feel both calm and very uneasy at the same time, and he wasn't sure what that meant.

"Thank you, sir." Zed replied.

"You can call me Charon, son. And unless I'm mistaken, aren't you Zed Necrodopolis? You're quite the football player, I hear."

"Ah, yes sir." Zed replied.

Charon nodded.

"Yes, I've heard about you. Very clever idea last year, hacking your z-band to improve your playing skills."

Zed flinched a little. He still felt a lit of guilt about his decisions. While everything had wound up okay in the end, Zed had very nearly ruined all of the progress zombies had managed to make in the last few decades.

"That was a poor decision, sir. I regret it, and I'll definitely never be doing it again." Zed stated firmly.

For someone who was nice enough to offer a ride, this guy was a little rude.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Charon said.

An eerie, joyless smile crossed his features.

"From what I recall, you aren't the first zombie in your immediate family to end up feral, are you, Zed?"

Zed froze.

He felt as though his veins had been doused in ice, and he felt his hands ball into fists.

Zed knew that his mother had made the news when her death had occurred. But since she was a zombie, he also knew that the newspapers had not printed her name or the names of him and his family, so he had never once been approached about it by a human.

He gulped, but was unable to form any kind of reply.

Zed's hands trembled as he felt pain and fear begin to swell up within him.

"But you know Zed," Charon continued, "going feral isn't always a bad thing. Your mother died protecting the people she loved. I'm sure you would do anything to protect the people you love. Especially when they're in danger."

Zed was shaking all over now, nearly overwhelmed with panic.

What was wrong with him?

"Take now, for example. Right now, the people you love the most are currently walking into the most terrifying and dangerous part of the entire forest. A place so fearful that even wolves don't dare go there."

Zed panted, trying to calm himself down.

"How— how do you—"

"Not to mention, it's going to be dark soon. I wonder which horrible creature that lives there will get to Addison and the others first?"

Distantly Zed felt a tear running down this face as he began to hyperventilate.

_No. No, nonono. Not Addison._

Jerking his head towards the passenger's side window, he realized that the car had now stopped, directly in front of the trail head that lead towards the haunted woods. Zed heard and felt a light snapping sensation, turning in time to see Charon removing his z-band and tossing it out the window. As black lines flooded up his arm and he felt his brain go hazy, he heard the passenger door unlock automatically.

"Better hurry, Zed."

Zed tore out of the car with an inhuman bellow, warping the metal door as he bound into the woods.

Behind him, what was left of Zed's normal self heard laugher and the sound of an accelerating engine fading away behind him.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's note: Hey, everyone! I am currently deployed out of state, to assist others with this horrible pandemic. However, I will try to update as often as my rather hectic schedule allows!

My apologies for any typos, I will fix them as I am able.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, I have been looking forward to this one!

Chapter 15

Mayar softly touched the back of her head, where a lump was now forming from her sudden collision with the earth. She wasn't mad at Zed, of course. It was Charon who had done the attacking; he'd just decided to use Starlight's boyfriend as the weapon. The fact that he had done so made her feel angry; an emotion she did not enjoy at all. And the fact that Charon had been the one to make her feel such an emotion upset her even more. Though, she knew all too well that this was not even close to the worst thing he had ever done. Poor Zed would feel terrible, once he knew what had happened.

Nevertheless, her head was spinning slightly, and her vision had gone a bit spotty when Wyatt had helped her sit up. She let out a soft groan, and saw Wyatt's face lean in to examine her between the curtains of white curls that always framed her face and partially obscured her vision.

"Mayar, are you okay?" He asked. She could feel his concern wrapping around her like a blanket. It felt nice, and it made her blush faintly. Though they'd just met in person today, Mayar had honestly been an admirer of Wyatt for a long time. He had an optimistic, funny personality, and a sincere heart. Which, from what she'd learned over a lifetime of hearing the thoughts and conversations of the people Above, was not necessarily a common trait to have.

"I'll be fine, Wyatt. Thank you."

She glanced around the group. Mayar didn't feel or hear Charon, but knowing that he'd been close enough to send Zed after them made her feel extremely uneasy. Not to mention, the fading sunlight was hurting her eyes and head, far too bright for her liking.

"We should take him back inside," Mayar stated, scanning the area with squinting eyes as Wyatt helped her to her feet.

"Woah!" Eliza said, holding up a hand.

"Can you explain what the heck is going on? Who is Charon?"

Mayar could taste the sourness of Eliza's frustration and concern. Her love's brother had been kidnapped, as far as she knew. And now, one of her dearest friends was feral in the woods, without a z-band. Mayar couldn't really blame Eliza for feeling unhappy with her at the moment, but they needed to be sheltered before she could truly explain anything to them.

"Follow me." Mayar said, nodding her head towards the rock entry that lead down into the Crater and to the Lunite dwellings. The movement made her head throb slightly, but it wasn't unbearable. She could sense Wyatt's worry to her side, and she didn't want to cause his concern to increase.

They would all be worried enough soon.

"Come on," Wyatt instructed the others.

"We can trust her."

From behind the others, Bonzo stepped forward, carefully scooping Zed's sleeping form into his tall frame. He was such a tender being, and Mayar smiled at the zombie's obvious care for his friend. Starlight climbed to her feet, brushing leaves from her clothes as she warily eyed Mayar.

But, wary or not, she wanted to learn more from Mayar, and she wanted Zed to be somewhere safe. So they all followed as Mayar turned and led them, into the entryway and through a tight hallway, then down the gently sloping stone staircase. It quickly darkened as they descended. Were it not for Mayar's glowing locks, the entire group would have been unable to see. She felt the silent surprise of the others, except for Wyatt, who was still apparently concerned about her head.

"I really am fine Wyatt, I promise."

She glanced over to him, seeing pale blue light gleaming against his teeth and the tips of his fangs as he smiled at her.

Oh dear, he was cute.

But now was certainly not the time to focus on that.

As they turned the corner, the darkness was replaced by the gentle but much brighter glow of purple shards embedded into the stone walls of the Crater's large, central room. She heard and felt the collective gasp of their guests as they gazed across the open space.

When her people had crashed here so long ago, much of the original moonstone had disintegrated, leaving a million tiny shards of glowing stone embedded into the rock. Between the shards and their bioluminescent hair, it was actually quite bright whenever they were all gathered there. As it was, the central room was actually fairly empty, as many of the others were currently in the tunnels or other caverns. The few that were present merely nodded politely and continued about their business, not wanting to make the newcomers or Starlight uncomfortable.

The children, though, still gazed curiously at the group, excited to see people from Above from the first time, and hoping to finally meet Starlight. Mayar laughed, shooing them away as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Come this way," she said, gesturing towards her room. "We can lay Zed down in here."

The odd grouping of people shuffled into the room, most of them wide -eyed and whispering or pointing out different features of the Crater. Bonzo laid Zed down across her small pallet of blankets on the floor. The Lunites didn't really have much use for furniture, preferring to sit and sleep on the ground.

"What are we going to do about his z-band?" Starlight asked, glancing worriedly from Zed to the others. "He was so, so terrified earlier, and there's no way we can bring him back home without a z-band! The z-patrol will cart him away to Containment before we ever get a chance to explain."

"I can help with that." Mayar said. "I mean, I don't know how to find his z-band, but I can make sure he won't be feral."

Crossing the room and kneeling next to Starlight besides the bed, she gently took Zed's hand.

_Zed, wake up. Everything's okay._

His eyes immediately slid open, darkened and red against his grey and charcoal skin.

He looked over to Starlight, and smiled.

"Hey, Ads." He said, his voice deeper than normal but otherwise calm. "I seem to be waking up next to you a lot, lately. A zombie could get used to this." He grinned and wagged his eyebrows flirtatiously at her as she smiled back, letting out a huffed laugh of relief that her boyfriend was okay.

Mayar watched as Zed seemed to suddenly realized his surroundings, and took in the blue light of her and Starlight's hair. They were close enough that her hair had begun to glow in response to Mayar's.

"Um." Zed said, now noticing his off-tone voice.

"Where are we? I feel weird." He sat up with a wince as his shoulder protested, examining the room.

"That guy... He... He threw my z-band out the window. He told me you were all in danger."

They all watched as he glanced at his arms, realizing that his z-band was gone.

He turned to Starlight, far more concerned with her than with his current situation, and not even seeming to notice that Mayar was holding his hand.

"Addison." He leaned in, waves of relief and love radiating from him and into Starlight, who returned his gentle embrace with a soft kiss to his cheek.

"I'm fine, Zed, really. We all are. And you're gonna be fine, can find your z-band, and in the meantime, Mayar will make sure you don't go all super-zombie on us."

Mayar smiled at Starlight. For someone who had just obtained these abilities, she was learning to function with and understand them very well.

"Hey, could you stop calling me that?" Starlight asked, looking directly at Mayar.

"My name's Addison."

"I'm confused." Zed chimed in.

"Me too." Said Bree from the back of the group, her hand clutching Bonzo's tightly.

Mayar laughed a little tiredly. She knew this story by heart, both the good parts and the painful ones. It was a story that would hurt to tell, both for her and for them.

"Everyone, have a seat." She said, gesturing at the pillows and blankets that messily littered her floor. "I have a story to tell you. It's the history of how the Lunites came to be here, and about what happened afterwards."

ZzZzZzZ

_A Brief History of the Lunites_

_Long ago, a primitive people lived in darkness beneath the surface of the moon. They lived cold, dark lives. But one day, as these primitive people scavenged in the dark for food and water, they came upon a large moonstone, our first source of light and power._

_Over time, the Lunite people evolved as they lived and their civilization grew alongside the stone. We became smarter, more unified. We gained the ability to speak to one another without voices, and learned the skills of manipulating emotions and consciousness, though these were only ever used for good. Our hair became white, and we became our own sources of light. Centuries passed within the safe confines of the moon._

_But as time passed, our resources decreased. After centuries of increasing struggle, our situation became clear. The moon was dying. Since before they could remember, the moon had supplied them with water and food, enough to sustain their small community. Now, it seemed that our people's extinction would soon be upon us, as the water dried up and the lunar plants withered._

_As a last ditch effort to save our species, the Lunites gathered supplies within the earth, metal and melted rock and the moonstone, patching them together into an ark of sorts. They gathered what supplies they could, and left the moon forever. _

_How they did it is lost to history, but the Lunites somehow managed to launch this ark into space, sending it hurtling towards earth._

_As our people plummeted through the earth's atmosphere, the moonstone began to fracture. A large section broke off shortly before the ark crashed into the earth, shattering the remaining portion of the moonstone into the millions of glittering shards now embedded into these walls._

_But as you know, that was not the end of the moonstone. The broken section had careened off in the direction of a nearby village. In this village, there lived a tribe of humans, who lived peacefully alongside the wolves of the vast forest. The moonstone crashed into the village, causing a terrifying explosion. But the humans and the wolves did not die. As it had with us, the moonstone changed them, made them better. The power of the moonstone made man and wolf into one, creating a new species. They were now a hybrid of man and wolf, with just a dash of Lunite thrown in._

_When the Lunites realized what had been done, we felt that it was best to allow the werewolves to keep the stone. We no longer needed it in our new home, but they did. It became apparent soon to the wolves, and to us, that they could no longer live without the stone. It had become a part of them, for without its power they would grow ill and perish._

_For many centuries, things remained mostly unchanged. The Lunites thrived in our new home beneath the Earth's soil. The sunlight drained our health in a way very similar to the wolves without their moonstones. So we stayed Below, and dug out tunnels over the centuries so that we could learn about our new home and fellow Earthlings without the danger of the sun. We were happy._

_Then, the settlers of Seabrook came in their wagons, with their weapons and their greed. They fought the wolves, and as you know, succeeded in stealing the moonstone from them._

_But unlike the Lunites and the Werewolves, the humans did not choose to live alongside the moonstone. Instead, they encased it in walls of brick and steel, in order to harness it's energy._

_For a time, this worked well for the humans. While the wolves suffered and gradually began to weaken, the humans prospered. Their town, Seabrook, was known among their kind as a perfect place. With the power of the moonstone, the town and the humans in it became wealthy and successful. A town which other hamlets longed to model themselves after._

_Fifty years ago, all of that changed. While even the humans still don't know all of the details, they do know that a lime soda was spilled across the control system as the workers their performed routine checks and maintenance on the pipes and wires that lead to the moonstone. Again, a huge explosion occurred. As you know, the moonstone had once again assisted in creating something new; Zombies._

_Amidst the chaos of the Above, all continued to go well for the Lunites. For the most part, we are a peaceful people. But one of us, ever since he was young, was anything but peaceful._

_Charon, my father, was unlike the rest of us, never content to be Below, always jealous of the prospering humans in the Above, even amidst the zombie outbreak. He both hated them and wanted to be like them, and relished in their ideas of normalcy and belonging. When his wife, my mother, died giving birth to me, he became completely unhinged. Carving out a shard of moonstone, he fashioned for himself a crude moonstone necklace and left for the Above._

_The shard of moonstone, though small, protected Charon from the sun and allowed him to live Above, where he quickly escalated his cruelty and manipulation. After a year or so, he became infatuated with a human woman, who worked at City Hall in Seabrook. Though the woman was engaged to another, he wanted her for himself. Using his abilities, he was able to manipulate her into pursuing a brief and abusive affair. Soon though, he became bored with her, and she was able to escape his devious control and happily married her human love. She did her best to forget the traumatic experience._

_However, Charon had not left her unchanged. Nine months later, a baby girl was born. Half-human and half-Lunite, with bright blue eyes and a tuft of white hair on top of her head. Though she remembered little of the affair, the woman knew that the baby must be the result of the brief but traumatizing relationship with the mysterious man. Despite her fears that her husband would leave her, she told him her suspicions as she cried over the newborn baby in the clean, tidy hospital room._

_But, imperfect as they both were, superficial and obsessed with appearances, they still truly loved each other. Her husband vowed to raise the baby as his own daughter, and to never speak of the affair again._

_They named the baby "Addison."_


	16. Chapter 16

The room was saturated with a tense, heavy silence. Addison was vaguely aware of the tears cascading down her face, and Zed's arm holding her close to his side in a comforting gesture.

"Though Charon never attempted to connect with either of his daughters, he felt that Addison should at least be given a traditional Lunar name. He named her 'Starlight,' a Lunite name in a human tongue."

"As time passed, Charon gradually worked his way up the social ladder of Seabrook. With is skills of manipulation, it was easy for him to grow rich, successful and influential in just a few years. He even has a place on the city council. While Starlight's mother, Missy, suspects who he is, she and Dale have kept their promise through the years to never speak or think of the indiscretion again. It is amazing what humans can ignore or forget about, if they try hard enough."

Addison felt Mayar's gaze on her, feeling her grief and guilt. Grief that they had each been abandoned by their birth father, and that they had grown up not knowing one another. And guilt that Mayar was the one to share with Addison these painful and confusing revelations.

She wanted her little sister to like her.

Her _sister._

Addison had a sister.

Growing up, she had never really minded being an only child. Bucky, her cousin, was as good as an older brother to her, and they did everything together. He looked out for her, helped her learn how to fit in, and got her involved with cheer.

But as Addison looked up and met Mayar's eyes, she thought about the last year or so, and all of the new friends she had made from different walks of life. How changes, while scary and confusing, had often turned out to be some of the best things to ever happen to her.

While she was hurting right now, Addison also felt an odd sense of relief and elation.

It may not have been a fairytale story, but it was still hers. Addison had always been optimistic, and she would take this hurt make something good out of it.

And at last, she knew the answers to the some of questions she had been asking her whole life.

Reaching within herself, she took in a deep breath and exhaled, and was able to offer a sincere smile to her big sister.

Reaching forward, Addison grasped Mayar's other hand.

"I'm happy to meet you, Mayar. I can't wait to learn more about you. And about our people, I guess."

Looking a little teary-eyed herself, Mayar smiled back.

Zed shifted, squeezing Addison in support.

"So, this Charon guy," Zed started in his lower-than usual voice, "What's his deal? I mean, he basically set a rogue zombie loose in his own car. That's ridiculously unsafe. And the things he said to me..." Zed's heart constricted painfully in his chest again, and Addison winced at his sorrow as she felt it echo through her.

"I don't like him." Zed finished, clearly not wanting to elaborate on whatever he and Charon had discussed.

"He's cruel," Mayar said,

"And he's crazy. It's a dangerous combination."

"More importantly, he wants the moonstone, the new one. We dont know why, but if Charon wants it, that is reason enough for us to do everything we can to make sure he doesn't get it. Especially if he is acting so recklessly."

"Hold up," Zed said suddenly, waving his free hand low in the air, since he couldn't raise it higher due to his brace. Addison couldn't help but focus her eyes on the blackened veins that spiderwebed up his arm as he moved.

"Did you just say second moonstone? WHAT second moonstone?"

Addison felt her eyes widen, and she realized that in the craziness of everything, no one had had the chance to tell Zed what had actually caused all of the chaos in Zombietown.

Willa cut in, leaning forward so that she could see Zed better.

"Last night, when we were hunting, we saw a falling star crash into Zombietown, causing all of the damage and chaos. But when we approached the crater to investigate, we discovered that it was no ordinary meteorite. A moonstone is what crashed into Zombietown, Zed. A new moonstone."

Addison could feel Zed's shock, and she gently pressed a comforting kiss to the side of his head as he absorbed this new information.

"What would he want with it?" Eliza asked, leaning forward beside Willa will a confused facial expression.

"He already has his own necklace, so what other reason would he have to get his hands on a moonstone?"

Mayar shook her head.

"I have no idea. But like I said, if it's him, it's nothing good. We need to do everything possible to make sure he doesn't get it."

Addison felt Zed stiffen and saw a memory flash in her head, of Zed as he sat in the hospital bed and watched a white haired man at the crash site on the news.

"Um," Zed said, gathering the attention of the others.

"The thing is," Zed said, "He may already have it. I saw him on the news this morning. At the crash site. It looked like he was the one calling the shots, and the whole area was covered with white tents."

Addison looked at Mayar, who suddenly looked very grave.

The group once again sat in silence, as they all pondered what this meant.

ZzZzZzZ

It was fully dark when they finally left the Crater and ascended the stairs back into the haunted woods. While Mayar had said they were welcome to stay, Eliza and the others were eager to get back to their homes. Their parents were going to be mad enough as it was. Plus, they needed to find Zed's z-band, so that they could bring him back to the hospital without having him immediately taken to zombie containment.

Eliza looked ahead at Addison, Zed and Mayar as they walked in front of her. Zed was still holding Mayar's hand out of necessity, and his other hand was loosely wrapped around Addison's waist. They really were a good couple.

Though Eliza had started out firmly disliking the cheerleader, she could now say with complete honesty that she counted Addison as one of her dearest friends. She was kind, open-minded and sincere; all very unique qualities for a human from Seabrook. Eliza couldn't help but wonder if it was the Lunite in Addison that made her empathize with others so easily.

Turning to her side, Eliza briefly met Willa's eyes.

The werewolf looked tired.

"Hey," Eliza said, gently elbowing her friend as they walked. "You okay?"

Willa offered her a small half-mile.

"Yeah, I'm good. I just wasn't expecting to learn the origin story of both of our species tonight."

"Me neither." Eliza replied. "It's a lot to take in. But in a cool way."

Eliza couldn't help but smile. She loved to learn, always soaking up any bit of reading material she could find. The information they had learned tonight from Mayar was extraordinary. Possibly even life-changing.

She would have to ask Mayar if the Lunites kept any kind of library or historical records. Surely they would have something that she would be able to comb through in the coming days, once they had sorted out this current crisis with this Charon jerk. In time, maybe they would be able to put together a revised, more accurate history account of Seabrook and all of its inhabitants.

"I recognize that look, Liza." Willa laughed, drawing Eliza's attention back to her.

"You are just dying to learn more about our new friends, aren't you?" Willa's eyes twinkled in amusement, and Eliza turned her face away so that she wouldn't see the pale, rosey blush that was definitely spreading across her grey cheeks.

Willa really did have a lovely smile, and Eliza loved it all the more because it was a somewhat rare occurrence. When Willa smiled, it was never fake. She was always sincere and honest in whatever she did, right down to her facial expressions.

"What can I say," Eliza sighed and shrugged, trying for an easygoing, nonchalant tone.

"I'm a bit of a nerd, you know."

"If by 'nerd,' you mean strong, beautiful and intelligent zombie, then yeah, you're a huge nerd."

Eliza's head snapped back to Willa, taken completely off-guard.

"Wha-'

At that moment, Eliza's boot caught unexpectedly in a tree root, protruding from the ground, causing her to stumble. Willa reached forward, grabbing onto her arm and catching her before she could fall.

_Smooth, Eliza. Really smooth._

As she straightened back up, she grasped Willa's other arm for support. The werewolf felt almost scalding to the touch. Since zombies temperatures were generally on the cool side, and wolves generally ran hotter than normal, the temperature difference was a little jarring.

But nothing she wouldn't mind getting used to, Eliza thought as they stood still, falling slightly behind the group as they neared the trail head where Zed's z-band had been tossed.

Eliza was temporarily rooted to the ground as Willa stared back at her, a softer expression now across her face.

"You okay?" Willa asked, echoing the question Eliza had asked her a few minutes before.

"Yeah. I'm good." Eliza replied quietly.

"Good."

There was another beat of silence between them.

Then, to Eliza's absolute astonishment, Willa suddenly leaned forward, and kissed Eliza tenderly across her cheek. Her hand rose to Eliza's face, brushing a few errant locks of dark green hair away from her eyes.

"Wouldn't want anything happening to my favorite monster." Willa said as she rested her hand for a short moment along Eliza's cheekbone. She gifted her with another smile, but unlike earlier, this one was soft and affectionate in appearance.

_Wait, what?_

Then, Bonzo's voice echoed from up ahead.

"Gar bez alt!" (I found it!)

Dropping her hand from Eliza's face, she reached out and grabbed Eliza's hand, pulling her forward.

"Come on," Willa said. "Let's go."

She continued to hold Eliza's hand as she propelled her forward, and they sprinted to catch up with the others.

Eliza was glad that Willa was pulling her along, because she was pretty sure that kiss would have otherwise left her feet glued indefinitely to the forest floor.

As they approached the treeline, Eliza could see Bonzo walking towards Mayar, Zed and Addison, with a z-band held gingerly in his open palm.

Still holding Mayar's hand, Zed reached out his arm, black veins still visible in the moonlight.

Using his free hand, he quickly snapped it across his arm.

Zed, shuddered as the blackness receded, and Eliza flinched as she heard the odd crackling sound that accompanied the donning or removing of a z-band.

She remembered the sensation. Readjusting to the electric pulses was unpleasant, and even though she'd only really experienced it a couple of times, she couldn't help but recall the brief but painful jolts flowing up her arm.

Finally able to release his grip on Mayar's hand, he leaned into Addison, lovingly pulling her into his arms and placing a kiss to the top of her white hair.

Mayar flexed her hand, apparently stretching out the tendons and joints of her fingers.

"Well," she said, "I believe that you all need to get back home, as do I."

Eliza watched as Mayar looked warily at the sky, as thought the sun might make a sudden, unexpected appearance.

"We can meet up again tomorrow evening. Well, I mean..." she said, looking a little uncertain. "I mean, I guess I shouldn't assume, but are you all willing to help us? In finding the moonstone and keeping it from Charon?"

Immediately, the collection of friends nodded in agreement enthusiastically, some of them adding a quick 'yes' or 'of course!'

"Of course we will." Eliza stated firmly, feeling Willa's hand squeeze hers in agreement.

"But where do we start? If Zed's right, he may already have his hands on it."

"Even if he does," Addison piped up, "it doesn't matter. We'll find a way to get it one way or another. My mom's the mayor. If Charon or the city council is involved, maybe she might know where to look."

Mayar nodded.

"That's a good place to begin searching. We also have scouts in the city center, so perhaps they have heard something useful as well."

Eliza watched as Mayar moved closer to Addison. Mayar tilted her head to the side, and after a moment, Addison grinned widely and held our an arm.

Apparently, they were communicating in their heads again. The two sisters hugged, and their hair flared with shimmering white-blue light when they touched.

As they embraced, Eliza couldn't help but feel optimistic, despite now having a crazed Lunite enemy to worry about.

Her circle of friends was always good at taking negative situations and making them better, and she was confident that they would find a way to protect Seabrook from Charon. Working together, there wasn't much they couldn't handle.


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: Hurray! I am finally home from my deployment!

Not a big plot point or anything in this chapter either, but we get to hear from Zed's dad, and learn a little more about Zevon and his wife!

Hope you enjoy. Since I'm home, hopefully I'll be able to post more regularly.

Please like and leave a review, it makes my day!

Chapter 17

Zevon let out a shaking breath, trying to steady himself. He raised a slightly-trembling hand to sip at the watered-down coffee. One of the nurses had kindly brought him another cup when the z-patrol officer had arrived to talk to him. While they wouldn't put out a missing zombie's report until after the 24-hour mark, he had insisted that they at least take down a physical description of Zed, so that they could be on the lookout.

He was trying as hard as he could not to let his imagination run away from him. But between the fear and stress of the previous night, and the lack of sleep, he was having a hard time not panicking. Where could Zed possibly have gone? And what would make him do something as drastic as sneaking out of the hospital? Zevon thought of his wife, and as he had for the last several years, silently wished she were here.

_Zarah, I can't do this without you._

"Mr. Necrodopolis?"

Zevon looked up, making eye contact with the gruff, middle-aged officer who was looking back at him expectantly. Apparently, he had just asked him a question, which he had completely missed.

"I'm sorry?"

"I asked if you could give me a description of what your son was wearing?" The man replied, arching a blonde eyebrow upwards into a very tanned forehead.

"Oh, um, yes." Zevon said, sitting the coffee down precariously on the edge of the bedside table.

"He was wearing his maroon and grey sweatpants, but they were pretty stained and sooty from the fire. He also had on his green high-top sneakers, but, again, they were in pretty rough shape. And I'm not certain, but I think he may have taken my work jacket."

The officer glanced up as he continued to swiftly scribble across his worn notepad.

"Okay, and what does that look like?"

"It's powder blue, and it has 'Seabrook Power' written across the back of-"

The door swung open in his peripheral vision, and Zevon turned to look as a cluster of people crowded into the small room.

First came Addison, looking slightly tense, followed by Zed and several of his friends, quickly freezing in place as they met the gaze of Zevon and the z-patrol officer sitting next to the bed.

"Son!"

Zevon stood instantly, crossing the room in a few short strides to reach his son, and immediately pulling him into a hug. He heard Zed yelp quietly as he hugged him, reminding Zevon of his son's injuries. He reluctantly eased his grip, and stepped back to examine him.

"Zed, where were you? What were you thinking?"

All at once, Zed's friends all begin talking over one another, in their haste to defend him.

"Mr. Necropolis, I can explain-" Addison started, her eyes wide with anxiety .

"Zed came to help us," Willa interjected, "Wyatt was missing and we were worried so-"

"It's all my fault, sir," Wyatt said earnestly.

"I went for a walk and didn't tell anyone, and I got lost-"

"Zeddka rugla-zad ziggy granraz nar zangree za- (Don't be mad at Zed, he was just trying-)" Bonzo said as he waved his hands for emphasis.

"ENOUGH."

Zevon surprised even himself at the sternness of his own voice, and all of the kids grew instantly silent.

"All of you need to go home, now."

"Mr. Necrodop-" Addison began.

"Especially you, Addison." Zevon said, lightly shaking his finger at her as he spoke. "I've already talked to your parents, and they're looking for you too."

Addison's eyes got even bigger, and she seemed to grow slightly paler as she nodded mutely.

"Home, all of you." Zevon stated again. "I need to have a word with my son."

Next to him, he was pretty sure he heard Zed audibly gulp. Zevon turned to the z-patrol officer, who was standing as he placed his pencil and notepad back into his uniform pocket.

"Officer, I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you."

The blonde human waved a dismissive hand as he began to walk towards the door.

"No worries, sir. I'm just glad to see your son is safe and sound. I'm a big Mighty Shrimps fan!"

With another wave and smile, he quickly strode out the door, followed by Addison and all of the others. They walked with their heads down, eyes staring guiltily at the floor as they filed out.

Abruptly, the room was silent.

Zevon looked up to his son, who, like his friends, was staring at the floor as he avoided eye contact with his dad.

"Dad," Zed began, "I'm so sor-"

"Get back in that hospital bed, son. We need to have a talk, and you need to be off of your feet."

Zevon ran a hand absently through his thinning hair as he watched his son silently approach the bed. Zed awkwardly clambered onto it with long, gangling limbs. Quickly discarding the Seabrook Power jacket on the side table , he gingerly pulled on his discarded hospital gown. He leaned back into the mattress, which was still elevated into a sitting position. Zevon suppressed a smile, thinking briefly of when Zed was still so small he needed a footstool to climb up into his and Zarah's bed, after a bad dream or during a thunderstorm.

Silently, Zevon sauntered over to the plastic chair next to the bed, sitting back into it as the feet of the chair scraped against the tile floor. For a moment he sat, gathering his thoughts. Then he looked up, and Zed met his gaze, looking almost scared, as though he expected Zevon to start yelling.

"Zed," Zevon said, "Have I ever told you about how your mom and I met?"

His son blinked almost owlishly, apparently completely taken aback by the unexpected subject change.

"No." Zed said, his voice oddly quiet.

Zevon knew that he should talk more about his wife to their children.

He wanted them to remember her, for her memory to be a part of their everyday lives. She had been such a source of joy and light. But her death had left deep scars on both of their children, and on Zevon himself. Every time he tried to speak about her, that day would replay in his mind. It hurt him too much to talk about her, and so he didn't. But, maybe choosing not to talk about her more had been a mistake. She was more than the last moments of her life.

"Well, you know, we were both teenagers when the outbreak happened. But, since we don't age in our full zombie form, we were still around 14 years old when the z-bands were finally invented about 25 years back. So, once they opened up a school for the kids, we ended up in the same classroom together."

"I know you kids thought that your basement classroom at Seabrook those first few weeks was bad. And it was. But our school experience was truly terrifying. There were constant safety drills, and z-patrol officers stationed in every classroom. The z-patrol and the teachers were armed with stunner sticks to shock us. They were only supposed to use them if a z-band glitched, but really, they used them for punishment. Even for something as small as talking in class."

Zevon paused, watching his son's eyes widen in horror.

"Anyway, Zarah and I were in the same class, but we'd never really talked. I kept to myself a lot. Zarah, though, she was friends with just about everyone. She was funny , kind, and brave. Just like her son turned out to be."

He winked at Zed, who smiled broadly. He seemed to be totally immersed in the story, further reinforcing Zevon's realization that he needed to talk to his kids more about their mom.

"One day, I was walking home after school, following the sidewalk that ran alongside the barrier. At the time, it was a combination of concrete walls and tall chain link fences. As I reached the corner to turn towards the house, I heard what sounded like a dog, yelping in pain. I rounded the corner, sprinting, and saw a large brown dog, who had apparently escaped his owner on his leash.

"He had managed to crawl under the chain link fence into Zombietown, but the leash had tangled in the chain, trapping him there. But that wasn't why he was yelping. He was yelping because, on the other side of the fence, a group of human boys were shocking him with a stunner stick. They were laughing their heads off, and I was absolutely horrified."

Zevon frowned, remembering the smug, joyous looks on their faces, as they delivered painful zaps of electricity to the poor, trapped animal.

"Without thinking, I ran over, and wrapped the dog in big, protective hug. For a second, the boys just laughed at me, but then, they started shocking me instead. It hurt like heck, but I wasn't about to let them keep hurting the poor dog, so I stayed there, crying out each time they prodded me."

"I was terrified that they would short out my z-band, and they were yelling the cruelest things they could come up with. So busy yelling, in fact, that they didn't notice your mom, coming to my rescue."

He laughed at the memory.

"She come upon the scene, and had scaled the fence without them noticing. She managed to sneak up behind them. From my spot on the ground, where I lay curled over the dog, I heard this sweet, chipper voice say 'Why, hello there, humans!' The boys took one look at her, and realized that they were face to face with a zombie and had no fence to protect them."

"I heard their screams, and popped my head up to see what was happening. She was standing there behind them, hands on hips, big smile on her face."

He laughed again, remembering her dark eyes twinkling with mischief in the afternoon sun. Her wavy hair glowed emerald in the light, and her smile was bright and genuine. He had fallen in love with her, right then and there, as he watched her take on an entire group of humans to protect him and a dog. She was so beautiful and brave.

Zed was so quiet and still as he listened.

"Those boys dropped the stunner right away, and turned tail and ran. Quicker that I ever could have managed, Zarah was back over the barrier and running over to me, where I was sitting on the ground with one arm still around the trapped dog."

"'Are you Okay, Zevon?' She asked, smile instantly replaced with concern as she crouched down.

"You know my name?' Was the only thing I could think to reply. I'm not gonna lie, I was basically tongue-tied. I was so distracted by how pretty your mom looked in the sunlight. She laughed again. She had the best laugh, your mom."

Zevon trailed off for a minute, suddenly unable to speak as the familiar ache welled up in his chest. He missed her so much. Zevon let out a shaky sigh, rubbing his hand across his eyes as though to wipe away exhaustion, rather than the tears brimming there.

After a moment, Zevon heard Zed lean forward in the bed.

"What happened next, dad?" He asked.

"Oh." Zevon said, recalling his train of thought.

"Right. Well, she helped me up, after I assured her multiple times I was fine. Then, we started working on untangling the leash from the bottom of the fence. We just about had it undone, and were trying to figure out what to do with the dog. Zarah wanted to take him home, and had already decided name him 'Zander.' But that didn't happen, because just as we finally untangled the leash, we heard the sirens of z-patrol cars."

"The human boys had run right to the nearest officer, and told them that two zombies were attacking a dog and were trying to escape the barrier. We were both carted away to zombie containment for three days."

He shuddered, remembering all too well how scary containment had been, especially when he was a kid. Back then, not everyone who went to zombie containment came back home.

"We got released after that, but thanks to us, they switched out the chain link fencing with more concrete walls. And, they instituted a strict 'no pets' policy for all zombies. Of course, the human kids received no punishment, because it was our word against theirs. But both of us, especially Zarah, were kinda legends for a while at school, after the whole mess was over. Especially Zarah. And from that day on, we were best friends, totally inseparable. I was head over heels for her, of course. Even though it still took me another three years to work up the courage to ask her out."

He smiled again.

"But, that's another story for another time. You and Addison remind me a lot of us, you know."

Zed's eyebrows raised slightly, and he smiled.

"Really?"

"Yup. You've got a good one there, kid." Zevon lightly patted his arm, conscious of his son's injuries.

"But, I told you all of that because I want you to understand something." Zevon said, serious again.

Zed sat, still listening attentively.

"Son, it's easy for me to want to feel angry when you take risks. Like hacking your z-band, or breaking out of a hospital to look for a friend, for example."

Zevon sent him a pointed look. He watched his son blush and look guiltily at the foor.

"But the thing is, I can't find it in myself to stay mad at you for wanting to help others, even when it means putting yourself at risk. How can I be angry at you for being like your mother, the bravest creature I have ever known?"

For a moment, they were both quiet again, as he watched his son stubbornly blink back the wetness in his eyes.

"Garga za, da (Love you, dad)." His son said, meeting his eyes again.

"I love you too, Zed. So go on and be yourself. Be brave, be kind. But next time, just... keep me in the loop, okay?" Zevon asked, playfully pretending to punch his son's arm in hopes of lightening the heaviness of the mood.

Zed grinned, and as always, looked so much like his mom had when she smiled.

"I will, pops. I promise."


	18. Chapter 18

Addison paused as her hand hovered just over the knob of her front door. It was fully dark out now. She had swung through Zombietown and through Bree's neighborhood along the way, ensuring that her friends made it home safely. The wolves had left from the hospital, running gracefully across the parking lot and into the brush running along the edge of the pavement.

Now, Addison was home, frozen as her hand refused to move forward and open the door. She wasn't sure she was ready to face her parents. She had learned a lot tonight, and hadn't even had a spare moment to begin to process her newly acquired family history.

What would she say to them? Should she tell them that she now knew about the circumstances of her birth? What would that mean for their family? What if her dad didn't really love her? Maybe he had just raised her out of obligation, and his desire to appear perfect. A lump formed in her throat as she considered it.

Addison jumped slightly as the door opened, just as her fingers brushed the doorknob.

Bucky stood inside her house's entryway, looking uncharacteristically disheveled. His perfect hair looked uneven, as though he had been running his hand through it on one side. He was still in his cheer uniform, and it looked rumpled as he stared at her with obvious distress in his eyes.

"Baby Cuz!" Bucky gasped, pulling her into a tight hug, the fierceness of his worry and fear taking her completely by surprise as it seeped into her brain. She felt his breath start to hitch, as though he were in danger of crying and was trying to gather his emotions. She pulled back slightly, looking quizzically at his distressed face.

"Bucky?" She said, not sure how to continue.

"I thought that you and Zed ran away together or something," He admitted, gripping her upper arms as though he were afraid that she might vanish. "I thought maybe you guy got fed up with all of the intolerance, or whatever, and were skipping town. And then I thought what if I never saw you again, or got the chance to be a better cousin to you. You're like my little sister, Addison. You know that, right?"

"Buck," Addison started, pulling him back into another hug.

"I know." She said, soothingly.

"You're my big brother, even if we are technically cousins. I'd never run off on you like that. Besides," she continued, pulling back again to look at him. "I don't care what issues Seabrook or our family has. This is my home. I'll never run from intolerance. I want to fight it. That's the only way to make Seabrook a better place."

Bucky nodded, a more confident grin crossing his face.

"But, if you weren't running off somewhere," he started, "where did you guys-"

"ADDISON!" Her mother's voice suddenly screeched from down the entryway hall. Apparently she had noticed Addison and Bucky as they hugged in the doorway."

"Addy!" Her dad's voice exclaimed, muffled from the other room. Footsteps thundered across the house, and before Addison could respond, both of her parents were shoving Bucky aside as they both enveloped her in a tight embrace.

"Where in the world were you, young lady?" Mayor Missy gasped, leaning back to grasp either side of her daughter's head.

"We haven't seen you since last night, or talked to you since this morning." Chief Dale chimed in, still hugging her tightly. "Then, your zombie boyfriend suddenly goes missing, and nobody hears from any of you for hours. We were worried sick!" He too stepped back, regarding her with a look that was a strange combination of relief and sternness.

"I hope you have a good explanation for us."

Her mom was running a hand absent-mindedly through Addison's hair.

The hair she always wanted covered by a wig. The hair, Addison now realized, that probably reminded Missy every day of the fact that she was basically manipulated, raped, and impregnated by some horrible stranger. All while engaged to another man. Addison had an entirely new perspective on her mother, and on the decisions she had made as a parent. It didn't mean that they had all been _good _decisions. But there was suddenly more depth to her mom that Addison had ever suspected.

However, right now, it was hard for Addison to focus on that, or on her parent's questions, because she was currently being overwhelmed with an unanticipated barrage of emotions.

She had read books and seen movies that discussed the complexity and depth of a parent's love. She knew that it was meant to be unconditional and all encompassing. It was strong and powerful. But until that moment, as her mother and father hugged her in the entryway of their home, Addison realized that she had never really believed that they truly loved her. She had always felt, always assumed, that their love was limited, and based on a series of both spoken and unspoken conditions. Wear your wig. Be the best. Be normal. All things that had been drilled into her head since before she could remember.

Now, though, she knew otherwise. She could feel their love, both of them, and it was as true and unconditional, just like in the books and movies. She felt their fear and relief, their joy that she was home, and their pride that she was their daughter. She felt her mom's anxiety, and her regret that her and her daughter weren't closer. And she felt her dad's protectiveness and concern, nothing indicating that he considered her as anything but 100 percent his child.

"Oh." Addison gasped, completely taken aback.

"Well?" Her dad asked.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Though she was certain it was not appropriate for the situation, Addison actually let out a laugh, giddy with the new knowledge of her parents' love for her. She made eye contact with Bucky, who was shooting her a look of complete exasperation. Gathering herself, but not able to completely banish her smile, she extracted herself from her parents and took a step back. Now all three of them were giving her the same look of exasperation.

"Sorry," She said, letting out another short chuckle.

"I just... I'm just really happy to see you guys. I'm so sorry I scared you, I promise it was a big misunderstanding."

Her mom crossed her arms, as her dad arched an eyebrow expectantly. Bucky was looking at her with confusion, his hands clasped in classic cheer position out of habit.

She sighed, continuing.

"Wyatt went missing," she said. "But since it had only been a few hours, Willa, me, and a few of our friends decided it would be a good idea to look for him, to see if he turned up. When Zed found out Wyatt was missing, he was really worried, and he came to help us. I should have called you guys. I'm really, really sorry."

"Is Wyatt okay?" Chief Dale asked, distracted by the concern of a missing teen.

"He's totally fine." Addison assured, waving her hands in front of her in supplication.

"We found him while we were out in the forest. We all came back right away, and Zed is back at the hospital. I swear, everything is just fine."

She briefly considered telling them about the Lunites.

But in order to do that, she'd have to explain everything, including the fact that she had learned about her unique lineage. And she'd have to bring up Charon. And Mayar. She wasn't sure she was quite ready to have that conversation.

Though she'd have to find a way to ask them about the second moonstone, and soon, if Mayar was right about her hunch that Charon was up to something. For now though, Addison let her parents and Bucky lead her back into the brightness of the Wells home, and allowed herself to bask in the feeling of being loved by her family.

ZzZzZzZ

Despite his break-out escapades, Zed was still released from the hospital the next morning.

Since his family didn't have a car, he and his dad caught a ride at the bus stop across the street from Seabrook Medical. As Zed took his seat, followed by his dad, he glanced around that the few others gathering onto the bus. The group seemed to be mostly composed of nurses and other medical workers, just off of their shifts. He recognized a few of them from the zombie ward, and exchanged tired smiles with them as they filed into the various seats.

The medical staff had been mostly human in the hospital, but for the first time, he noticed a few zombies, two females and a male, wearing scrubs with "student nurse" stamped across the right shoulder of their shirts. Zed felt his face break into a grin, as he realized he was looking at something historic. Until very recently, zombies had never been permitted to work in healthcare, aside from mechanical or janitorial work in parts of the hospital where no patients were housed. They had never been trusted around injured or sick humans, due to the false but common belief that the scent of "weakened" humans could cause a zombie to go feral.

In fact, until two months ago, zombie students were not permitted to attend college or to achieve any sort of degree after high school. All zombies, beginning at the age of 16, used to attend a mandatory technical school in Zombietown. There, they would be evaluated based on their skills and knowledge. Once this was determined, zombie kids were then assigned to the career or trade that they would most likely do for the rest of their lives.

Now, thanks in part to Addison's mom, Mayor Missy, this had recently changed. While zombies still couldn't leave Seabrook, or the state, they were now able to attend online colleges. Even more appealing, zombies could now apply and attend Seabrook University. Recently, legislation had even been put forth to relax the rules regarding zombie dress code. If it passed, they would still be required to wear certain colors, but would no longer be required to wear actual uniforms. While Zed had known these things, and been excited about them (though not nearly as excited as Eliza), actually seeing zombie nursing students in person was almost like seeing a miracle.

Everyone shifted slightly as the bus lurched forward, and those who were standing grasped tightly to the metal poles that helped maintain their balance. The hospital quickly faded behind them as tall, green trees overtook the landscape on either side of the bus.

One of the nursing students, a lanky female with short hair, shot him a tired grin. He returned the smile with one of his own. Despite the recent devastation in Zombietown, his people were doing amazing things. Every time he saw something new or different, Zed was proud all over again of the community and the future he and his friends were helping to build.

As the bus rounded a sloping hill, the wall of trees the bus windows had been facing suddenly opened up into a bright, splendid view of the coast. It was mid-morning, and while the early golden glow of the sunrise was long gone, it was still beautiful. He could almost hear the roar of the waves, if he listened hard enough. In the distance, he could see a few humans and zombies milling about, and even a couple of werewolves, who seemed to be playing catch with a frisbee.

He grinned gently as he recalled the last time he and Addison had taken Zoey to the beach a couple of weeks ago. They had made a pretty impressive sand castle. As always, Zed ended up covered in sand, since Zoey was particularly fond of burying her older brother. While he could do without the grit of the sand in his teeth, it was worth it to make his little sister laugh. She would probably be at the beach every day, if she could.

Until this past year, most zombies had never even seen the ocean, despite living in a costal town.

It was crazy how much things had changed in such a short amount of time.

Crazy, but awesome.

As they neared the turn-off that lead into Zombietown, the road sloped down, closer to the beach.

The Seabrook Pier and the surrounding area was currently bustling, as the city workers prepared for Shore Day. A giant, collapsible stage was currently being set up further inland, and a series of carnival rides were being lined up for assembly at each side of the pier. The pier itself had a few staple rides that were permanent residents of the beach, such as an old wooden roller coaster, a carousel, and a large set of slides that people rode down on weathered old mats.

Zed felt a small jolt of excitement as he remembered the upcoming Shore Day festival. Luckily, his dad had decided not to ground him, so his plans with Addison were still on. There was also a good chance that he would have his shoulder brace off by then, so he might still have a shot at winning his girlfriend an oversized stuffed animal after all. Maybe once the sun had set, Mayar and some of the other Lunites would decide to come and spend time with them on the beach.

In addition to his excitement about Shore Day, Zed was also looking forward to tomorrow evening.

Apparently, Wyatt and Willa had persuaded Mayar and a few of her fellow Lunites to meet up with them for an "emergency" bonfire meeting outside the wolf den. This way, they would have a better chance to get to know one another. They would also be able to discuss tactics and form a plan to keep Charon from the moonstone.

It was still hard to belive that Addison was part alien.

To be honest, though, Zed wouldn't have cared if she was part mermaid.

While she was beautiful with her flowing white hair and piercing blue eyes, he would have loved her no matter what her lineage was. She was kind, smart, and funny. Most importantly, she not only believed in equality, but had proven over and over that she was willing to fight for it. As a human, or, half-human, she could easily have chosen to just sit back, blend in, and ignore the plight of Seabrook's unusual groups of minorities.

But not his Addison. She was a good person, through and through.

He loved her more than life itself.

Just thinking about her made Zed blush lightly, a small grin spreading across his still-bruised face. He rested his arm against the bottom of the bus's window, and continued to watch the waves crashing relentlessly against the sand.

Zed was so lost in thought, in fact, that he completely missed the sleek black car with it's dented side door, parked in the lot next to the pier. He also failed to see the man with the braided white hair as he spoke animatedly with several men, who were unloading a large crate from a nearby truck.


	19. Chapter 19

Author's note: Hey ya'll! This is a mostly fluffy stuff in this chapter, with a dollop of terror at the tail end! The first section is Wiliza, SO, if you aren't into that ship, Just skip that part! Also no, please stop asking me to leave out stuff. Williza is a thing in this fic. #SorryNotSorry.)

Will correct as I am able.

ZzZzZzZ

The next day and a half went by in a blur of school and manual labor, as the zombies worked to repair and rebuild the damaged homes and businesses. Many werewolves were also contributing their time and labor, and several humans were donating money as well as their own time to help. The wolf den had offered several beds to displaced zombies. A local human bed and breakfast, The Seashore, had also opened it's doors, offering up it's multiple bedrooms. And, of course, Eliza's family had offered to share their small house with Zed's and Bonzo's families.

She had been truly taken aback by the influx of support and assistance from their community.

While things were by no means perfect between humans and zombies, this catastrophe had brought everyone together far more so than the pessimistic Eliza had anticipated. She would never have admitted it, but the sense of community that Seabrook now seemed to be cultivating touched her deeply.

Her dad, Zed's dad, and Bonzo's mom were all in construction, and they had spent the first two nights after the fires drawing out plans and working with distributors throughout Seabrook to begin rebuilding the damaged houses. One hardware store in Zombietown and two more in Seabrook proper had donated all of the needed supplies. As for Eliza, she and her friends had busied themselves after school each day by assisting in the demolition of all of the damaged rooms in Bonzo's and Zed's houses.

It was actually kind of therapeutic, knocking down and clearing out all of the blackened wood and charred furniture. Eliza was particularly fond of the sledgehammer. Even Bonzo, who had been worryingly melancholic the past few days, had smiled and laughed as he and Bree tossed the ruined remnants of his paintings and art desk out the broken window and into a large pile on the street below, where other zombies, humans and wolves were loading trucks to send to the landfill. Eliza had worried that seeing his art destroyed would upset him even further. Instead, he had simply pulled Bree in close and smiled, stating that this was nothing more than an opportunity to create something even better.

In addition to Bonzo's improved mood, Zed was healing up well. In the privacy of his smoke-damaged room, he had gotten teary-eyed as he examined the blackened family pictures and antique football memorabilia on the wall. Then, in regular Zed fashion, he had perked up, straightened his shoulders (well, one anyway), and had gotten to work cleaning. Addison and, surprisingly, her mom, had also spent hours at the Necrodopolis house, scrubbing the grime from picture frames and gathering up any linens that were salvageable to be laundered. While the mayor hadn't exactly looked happy to be there, the fact that she'd been willing to help was a big step. Addy's dad had even ordered pizza to provide dinner for everyone living in the Zambie house the evening before. They seemed to be accepting, at least in part, that their daughter's boyfriend and friends weren't going anywhere.

All in all, things were mostly looking up.

Except...

As far as Eliza and the others had been able to tell, none of the adults or the city officials of Seabrook seemed to be aware of the existence of a second moonstone. Any time it was mentioned in the news, the events of the other night were simply labeled as "a mysterious explosion." No one had said anything to the contrary, outside of her circle of friends. Which meant that if Charon did, if fact, have the stone, he had managed to obtain it quickly and with an impressive amount of secrecy. If anyone could manage that, though, she supposed a crazed alien with mind-tampering powers would be the most capable.

But, where would he take it, and why?

The amount of unknowns currently bouncing around in her head made her jittery with nerves. She had debated more than once about telling her parents, or even Addison's parents, about the moonstone and the potential danger involving Charon. If she did, though, she'd have to explain about the Lunites, and Mayar didn't seem like she wanted her people to be revealed to the majority of the above-ground residents of Seabrook, just yet.

It made sense. They'd spent about a thousand years in secrecy, so it was understandable that it would be scary or difficult for them to join the community of Seabrook. When zombies had been integrated into the Seabrook school system, it had definitely been a stressful time. And unfortunately, the humans in charge of things had a history of not being particularly accepting. But things were different now, and Eliza and the others were already becoming quietly excited about the Lunite people joining their circle of friends and integrating into Seabrook.

As Eliza slung a section of charred timber out of the broken window, a cloud of ash and dust billowed around her face as the delicate wood broke apart, covering her face and hair in a layer of blackish gray soot. Stumbling back, she coughed and sputtered as she attempted to clear her vision by shaking her head frantically from side to side. Looking across Bonzo's room at the cracked, sooty mirror above his dresser, she couldn't help but let out a short burst of laughter. She looked like she had been rolling around in a pile of charcoal.

Still giggling, Eliza turned to look for a rag to wipe her face with, only to look up and see Willa standing in the doorway, her right arm loaded down with a paper bag that instantly smelled delicious.

"Having problems?" Willa asked as her lips twisted into a half-grin.

"More like having fun." Eliza continued to laugh.

"I actually like demolition, apparently. If they hadn't opened up colleges to zombies and wolves this year, maybe I would have ended up working demo. Getting to break stuff without getting in trouble is fun."

Willa joined her in laughter, the tips of her fangs shining in the fading sunlight.

Eliza couldn't help but turn her head to the side as she admiringly watched Willa approach.

The last day and a half, since Willa had kissed her on the cheek, things had been a little different between them. They seemed to have suddenly become very touchy-feely. The zombie and wolf had briefly held hands several times, or squeezed an arm or shoulder mid-conversation. It was different, but she wasn't sure what it meant. It was encouraging, yes, but that didn't mean Eliza was going to so anything drastic, like asking Willa out on a date or something.

"— on a date."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Eliza blinked, sure she hadn't heard correctly. She took a moment to be grateful that all of the grime and ash on her face would obscure her blush.

"I was, um," Willa paused, looking uncharacteristically nervous. Wait, was she blushing too?

"I asked you if you'd want to have dinner with me sometime. Like, on a date."

Willa's eyebrows dipped in slightly, as though worried that she might not get the answer she was hoping for. Despite being the most confident and self-assured person Eliza knew, she looked oddly vulnerable in that short moment.

Then, Eliza felt her face breaking into a wide smile.

"That would be awesome! I'd love to." Eliza replied, unable to hide her grin. She felt joy blossoming in her heart. She knew it! Willa liked her back!

Willa's face suddenly mirrored her own grin.

"Good, because I happen to have dinner right now." Willa shook the bag gently to call Eliza's attention back to the food.

"That Italian place, Canta Insieme, just put out a menu full of zombie and werewolf options. I thought you'd want to try it with me." The wolf continued to grin, clearly excited for another win for team monster. Even something as small as a restaurant menu was a step forward.

Eliza blinked.

"Wait, you want to have a date now? Right here?"

She gestured at her dust-covered head and upper body, unable to stop from laughing again.

"I've had a crush on you for months, and you waited until I look like a chimney sweep to ask me out?"

Willa shrugged, and shook the bag of food again.

"You'd look great no matter what, Zambie." Willa reached in the bag, revealing a handful of wet wipes from the restaurant. "Now come sit down with me!"

Eliza grinned as she reached out for the wipes.

Then, moving around a pile of fresh plywood and two buckets, they managed to fashion themselves a rudimentary table and chairs. The food was delicious. They sat together in the muted afternoon light, discussing their excitement about the following night's bonfire meeting, and speculating on how to best retrieve the second moonstone. After dinner, they had spent another hour doing demo work, laughing as they pried out burnt sections of floor and threw chucks of drywall at one another.

For years afterwords, and despite it only being their first date, this evening would continue to stand out in Eliza's and Willa's memories as one of their favorites.

ZzZzZzZ

"I need to talk to you about something." Addison said.

It was the next day at school, and she and Zed were both in the Safe Room, their continued secret getaway whenever they wanted time alone. She was resting her head in his lap as she reached up to play absent-mindedly with his hair.

Zed, who had been reading through his history book, looked down at her.

"Everything okay?" He asked, offering her a wide, confident grin to hide his nervousness.

He had heard from several of his friends that any conversation that started with_ "we need to talk"_ was not going to end well. Was something wrong? While Zed had made great strides in better-handling his insecurities, he found it was hard to keep his fear of losing her completely at bay. The thought of there being some kind of problem in their relationship he hadn't know about caused his stomach to twist lightly.

"Hey, calm down," Addison said, gently cupping his face in her hand as she smiled at him.

"Everything is perfect with us, Zed. I seriously couldn't be happier. You're my someday and my always."

He felt himself calm slightly as she sat up and turned towards him. She lifted her legs so that she was partially sitting on his lap as they leaned against the wall behind the bed. Addy cuddled against him slightly, still cautious of his various injuries despite Zed's reassurances that he was fine.

"You're my always, too, Ads. What's up?"

He looked at her, feeling mildly concerned as her brows arched inward with worry.

"I need to tell you... Ugh, I don't know how to say it, but I have this thing going on. It started when the second moonstone crashed."

"Tell me." Zed said, immediately, giving her a gentle squeeze of encouragement. Whatever she was worried about, he was absolutely confident that together, they could deal with it.

Addison smiled, maybe a bit nervously. "Okay," she said.

"Okay. So, you know that the Lunites can read minds and feel other people's emotions and stuff, right?"

"Right." Zed nodded as he recalled the historical account Mayar had given them. He looked at her as she seemed to struggle to continue.

"Well, you remember that when I was close to Mayar, my hair lit up blue."

Zed just nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"The thing is... Ever since the moonstone crashed the other night, I've been... Different. Less like a person and more like a Lunite. My hair lights up like fireflies. I can feel everyone's emotions and speak to the other Lunites, telepathically. And Zed," she said nervously as she looked at him, "I can hear and see what you're thinking, Zed. I've been able to the last three days."

"Wait, just me?" He asked, feeling his cheeks burning in surpris.

Zed felt his eyes widen as his body stiffened slightly at the revelation his girlfriend had provided.

_Oh._

_Oh, no._

_Does this mean she knows about how often I stare at her butt, or think about her... Oh, geez._

Zed felt his face grow hot and his slow pulse quickened as he watched her attempt to disguise a sputter of laughter as a cough.

_Had she heard that, too?_

Addison nodded with another chuckle, confirming his guess. She really could hear what he was thinking. They were both still snuggling calmly together, but Zed was trying desperately not to panic. What would she think when she realized how much she meant to him? That he had started a savings account his sophomore year, specifically to purchase her engagement ring. That he had dreams about what their children would look like. That he was in it for life, if she would have him.

She would think he was crazy. He would lose her-

"Zed." Addison spoke as she firmly met his gaze, instantly quieting the cacophony of insecurities bouncing around in his head. She was always so good at that.

"This doesn't change anything for us, at least not for me. I love you just as much as I always have. Maybe even more. You're my soulmate. I've always known it. But now, I _feel _it."

She rested her hand against his heart, gently grasping the fabric of his cotton t-shirt.

"I hope it doesn't change anything for you, either. But, I mean, if it does, I understand." She said, to his horror, as he watched her flinch away slightly.

"Addy, are you serious?" He pulled her into his chest, running his fingers into her snowy hair.

"Nothing in this world, or other worlds for that matter, could change how I feel about you. I mean, I'm not promising that you won't hear some dumb stuff coming out of my head, and I apologize in advance for that. But, It's no big deal. We'll get used to it, we'll work through it together. Right?"

She pulled back to look up at him as a smile of relief painted it's way across her face.

"Right." She said, nodding firmly.

She leaned in, and Zed took a moment to appreciate the way the soft blue light of her hair seemed to make her cheeks glow. Whoa, her hair. That was another thing that he was glad to adapt to. For her, anything.

"I've been practicing at bedtime!" Addison squeaked with pride.

"How does it look?"

Zed watched in awe as white-blue flickers of light danced through her hair. It was almost like watching his girlfriend adorn a crown of fireflies. She was breathtaking. And somehow, she was also his.

_She looked like a goddess._

Zed smiled, not caring that he was blushing visibly.

_You're beautiful. _He thought the words fervently, like a prayer, and knew by her softening expression that she really could hear what he was thinking.

Distantly, Zed heard the bell ring, signaling that they needed to go back to class.

"Want to skip Zombie as a Second Language?" Zed asked, and lowered his voice into what he hoped would be flirtatiously irresistible. "I could teach you a few phrases right now, if fact." He said, winking to lay it on extra thick.

Addison's face lit up even more as she laughed, making him wonder briefly if her mood affected the light in her hair. Another question to bring up at the bonfire tonight.

Then, he noticed that Addison's eyebrows were suddenly knitting down and inward, like she was worried, and she was moving her head from side to side. Then, he heard it too. It was no longer the regular ringing of a school bell announcing the time. Now, the pervasive sound buzzing in his Zed's ears was the sharp, incessant screech of a Z-Alarm.

Outside the door, he and Addison could hear the sounds of shouts and retreating footfalls. The bright flickers of light seemed to sizzle out of her hair almost instantly.

"Zed!" Addison exclaimed in a whisper, "Do you think it's like before? When you hurt your toe, and Stacey pulled the alarm out of panic?"

They were both standing now, Zed now holding up his fists towards the door, and Addison standing in a standard kick-boxing stance, ready to show off her low kick. Horrifyingly, they could now hear shuffles across the door in the hallway. Hissing, angry growls mumbled from the zombies as they passed the still-closed door of the panic room. From what he could see, it looked like there were only three or four rouges.

"No." Zed said quietly as he watched the feet of his fellow classmates clatter in a shuffle of uncoordinated movements that made him shiver.

"No, Addy, I don't think this is like that time at all."

"We have to go help them!"Addison hissed, looking at him with panic. "Whatever happened, we have to keep the zombie students safe until they can get rebooted! Someone might try to hurt them."

He nodded, cracking open the door and glancing left and right to ensure that the hallway was now empty.

Zed squeezed her hand and saw her hair flicker in the corner of his eye.

"Let's go. We've got this."

With that, they quietly opened the door and slipped unnoticed into the hallway.


	20. Chapter 20

Author's note:

Hey again everyone! My continued apologies as to the slower pace I've been keeping with my updates lately. It isn't by choice. I've been so busy at work that I rarely get to even look at my laptop. What a year 2020 is turning out to be, huh?

But, on the bright side, we are hearing from our beloved Bucky Buchanan in this chapter! He is one of my absolute favorite characters, and I enjoyed trying to write out his mannerisms and personality. Hope I did a decent job!

Enjoy, and please like and review, I can't tell you enough how much they make my day.

ZzZzZzZ

Bucky flashed his confident, award-winning grin as he strode down the hallway, giving the occasional wink or thumbs up as he passed others along the way. Around him, students moved about, heading in all directions to their respective classes. Sometimes, he felt like a shark swimming through a school full of little fish, rather than his fellow classmates. Like fish with a shark, they seemed to automatically move away to clear his path. The fish knew that if they veered too close, they might end up as the shark's next meal.

Two or so years ago, that description probably would have fit him perfectly.

Bucky wasn't exactly proud of his past behavior towards the zombies and wolves, though he would never willingly admit it. He had grown up believing, _knowing_, that humans were superior. That _he _was superior. Zombies, on the other hand, were disgusting, dead-eyed freaks. It wasn't until that day on the football field, when the Acey's hacked Zed, Eliza and Bonzo's z-bands, that he saw firsthand how wrong those beliefs were.

He recalled the feel of the mud on his hands and uniform, and the faint scent of trash wafting from the garbage bins beneath the stands. As he stumbled away from Zed in his panic, he had stupidly cornered himself, sealing his fate at the hands of a rogue zombie. But then, something impossible had happened. Zed hadn't bitten him. He hadn't even attacked. Instead, Bucky had watched with shock and terror as Zed fought against his instincts, wrenching himself away from his easy prey.

Bucky hadn't known it was possible; had never considered that zombies were anything more than stupid, dead things. Even after what he witnessed, it had still taken months, (okay, years), for him to work on his own prejudices against those who lived on the other side of the barrier. Bucky had made progress, sure, but he knew he was still far from perfect. He was, in fact, a little jealous of how easy it had been for his cousin, Addison, to just accept everyone, regardless of species. While he'd never told her, Addison was truly someone he looked up to, when it came to her moral compass. When his own moral compass was sometimes lacking, she was always there to tell him the honest truth.

But as Bucky had heard Zed say countless times to Eliza, "Baby steps are still movement."

As Bucky rounded the corner to head towards the gym, the slight figure of one of his zombie cheerleaders came bouncing over to him. She was a freshman who was new to the squad, and her name was Zita. She was mostly hidden behind a comically large box, which she was carrying with surprising ease considering that she was less than five feet tall. That Zombie strength was no joke. Her green ponytail bobbed from side to side as she approached him.

While he was, technically speaking, no longer the cheer captain, he still assisted Addison in coaching duties, choreography for cheer routines, and training new cheerleaders. Bucky had found that even though he enjoyed the prestige that came with being class president, he was not able to entirely relinquish his squad.

He had made the Mighty Shrimp what they were today, after all.

"Hi, President Bucky! The new poms just came in!"

She craned her neck to the side, offering him the peppiest smile he'd ever seen.

Zita was the zombie embodiment of a perfect cheerleader. She was a perfect flyer, and always had a happy expression on her face.

She was staring at him expectantly, waiting for some kind of acknowledgement or instruction.

_Be nice. _He thought to himself.

_Be nice. Be nice. Be— _

"Well, what are you still standing there for, Zita? Take them to the gym for practice!" Bucky snapped as his brows dipped down in annoyance.

_Oops. _

That wasn't as polite as it had sounded in his head.

Zita nodded fervently, green hair frantically waving up and down as she nearly sprinted past him and towards the gym. He watched her go, wondering why it was so impossible for him to be nice, like Addison. It was exhausting. How did she manage it?

"THANK YOU!" He practically shouted to her, though the polite statement tasted sour leaving his mouth. He felt his face scowling at her as she rounded the corner and disappeared from view.

_There, much better._

Bucky nodded approvingly, giving himself a mental pat on the back. He would get the hang of this "being a nice guy" stuff, sooner or later.

Continuing on his path, Bucky also headed towards the gym. He had a free period, and was planning on working out a few kinks in their routine for sectionals. Once it was absolutely perfect, as was his standard, he could more efficiently teach the other squad members.

Since he was taller than Zita, he spotted her ahead of him. She had been joined by three other zombies, also members of the cheer squad. He recognized the tall, stout zombie as a guy named Zeke, but couldn't remember the names of the others. Zeke seemed to have taken the box from her, hefting the giant thing effortlessly onto his right shoulder.

Bucky took a moment to appreciate the new uniforms he and Addison had chosen this year. Rather than the white and pink with green stripes, which they had done a variation on for the past several years, these uniforms were a vibrant emerald. The skirts (and pants) had shimmering silver stripes which cascaded downward from the waist. The tops were also green, with glittery silver and pink lining emblazoned across the front and back.

Bonzo, who was also still on the squad, had helped to design them.

Normally, Bucky was fervently against anything different, ever, but he'd had to begrudgingly admit that the new uniforms were pretty cool. The new poms were designed to match the uniforms with their metallic green, pink and silver that were meant to sparkle when in use during the routine.

This year's competitions would be excellent.

As they approached the gym, Bucky began to pick up the pace, wanting to get started on his choreography as soon as possible. He didn't even mind if they stayed, so long as they learned something and didn't bug him.

Bucky watched as one of the taller female zombies in the group ahead of him reached to open the door to the gymnasium.

Then he heard a noise that didn't fit in with the bustling of the school's halls.

_Pop._

As she opened the door, there was a sound like a small firework being set off, like the ones he and Addy had played with as kids every Shore Day. A small puff of debris scattered across the doorway of the gym. Amidst the smoke, Bucky saw a glint of shining purple as shards of what looked like glass spraying across the zombies as they stood in the entryway. His brain didn't immediately process what was happening, as he watched his fellow squad members flinch back from the small explosion.

Zeke dropped the box, which tumbled to its side and spilled it's contents across the floor in a wave of glittering green and pink. A few students nearby yelped in surprise, as the four zombies in cheer uniforms began to spasm in a strange, terrifying way. Bucky vaguely saw the red flashing of their z-bands, which were now covered in purple shards of glass.

No, not glass. Stone.

Bucky suddenly recognized the familiar gleam of moonstone, fragments seeming to magnetically attach themselves to the now malfunctioning z-bands. His mind flashed back to the memory of he and Zed's presidential debate the past year, when Zed's z-band had briefly short-circuted after coming into contact with moonstone. At the time, it had ensured Bucky's well-deserved victory.

Now, Bucky was standing dumbstruck, watching as Zita, Zeke and the others began to become feral before his very eyes. Dozens of tiny shards were now sticking to their z-bands, as well as slicing lightly into their skin and clothing.

His eyes grew wide, and Bucky heard a mixture of growls and grumbled zombie tongue with the sudden wailing of a z-alarm. Someone nearby must have pulled it. He swerved around, quickly ducking behind a large wooden trophy case, which hand barely enough space for him to squeeze behind unnoticed. All around, the hall erupted in chaos. Most students were running, though a few seemed to be momentarily frozen in place.

He watched as the zombies began to shuffle back up the hall, in the direction they had previously traveled from. He gasped as he looked at Zita, with her coal-black eyes and snapping jaw. They looked haggard, but were moving at a brisk pace as they followed their prey. Luckily, the miniature horde quickly passed him by, seemingly without notice. Quietly, Bucky released a short breath that he hadn't realized he was holding.

Down the hall, where he couldn't see, he heard a series of shouts and the sounds of retreating feet. People were running now, but soon, he was sure that people would spring into action and take down the feral zombies. Bucky flinched as he felt an unfamiliar pain in his chest. It was an emotion, but not the normal pride and self-confidence that he always felt. Guilt? Worry?

Bucky thought about Zita, with her tiny frame and bright smile.

What if she and the others got hurt? It wasn't even their fault.

He wasn't sure what had happened, but it almost seemed like someone had intentionally set up a trap, ensuring that any zombie nearby was certain to glitch. A new feeling began to blossom in his chest, taking him completely by surprise. Bravery. Bucky didn't want to stay hidden behind the trophy case. He needed to go and help his cheerleaders.

Resolved but terrified, he silently slid out from behind his hiding spot and quickly sprinted down the hall, in the direction of the chaos he could hear boiling over around the corner. As he rounded it, he briefly skidded to a stop as he took in the scene unfolding before him.

There was bedlam in the hall, as clusters of humans ran to escape the zombies. Some of the zombie students were fleeing as well, while a few others appeared to be too stunned to react. As he watched, a girl zombie with short cropped hair and a full-figured frame tackled one of the rogues who's name Bucky didn't know. They both tumbled across the tile floor, slamming roughly into the lockers. The feral one snapped and growled at her, but she had him securely pinned down.

Behind them, Bucky saw that Zita had cornered two humans, and was closing in on them in the corner. He flew forward, all the while in awe of how ridiculously idiotic he was being, and charged into the dead space between zombie and human. Almost hyperventilating, Bucky held his hands out defensively towards her.

"ZITA!" He yelled, his voice breaking in his panic.

He couldn't belive that he, Bucky Buchanan, was about to be eaten by a zombie.

But then, like Zed had nearly two years ago, Zita did something that surprised him.

She paused, blackened and bloodshot eyes boring into his. She was breathing in short, gasping growls as her hands and fingers twitched in a bone-chilling way. Her jaw continued to snap periodically.

But Zita didn't attack. She stared at him, as though waiting for him to finish his declaration. Hesitantly, Bucky inched closer, hands still drawn in front of him in supplication."

"Zita," Bucky said, trying to project his normal confidence and self-assurance.

"Listen to me, everything is going to be fine. I know it's scary,"

Bucky took another step forward.

"But everything is going to be just fine."

Step.

"Your z-band is just glitching because of the moonstones."

He gestured down to her dainty wrist, where the z-band, covered in small shards of the gently glowing purple rock. Her arms and face were littered with cuts and scrapes from the tiny explosion, a few shards actually embedded into the flesh. She jerked her head down and towards the band, as though she had forgotten it was there.

"We need to take them off, Zita. Will you let me help?"

Clearly he had gone insane. The old, sane Bucky had a strong sense of self-preservation. This new version of himself apparently had none.

Step.

He was right next to her now, and gingerly reached out as she watched him. He touched the top of the z-band, feeling the razor edges of the shards and realizing that he was going to get cut. Bucky winced delicately as his fingers scraped against the moonstones. It was like trying to move magnetic blades off of one another. Tricky and painful, but manageable. Still watching him as he quickly tore off the final chunk, she let out a soft shriek. Her knees buckled as black veins faded to normal grey.

He started to move forward to help her, when a short roar bellowed directly behind him.

Bucky turned around just in time to watch as Zed catapulted himself onto Zeke, who had been inches from taking a bite out of the back of Bucky's head. They tumbled past him, Zita's crying nearly muted by a second roar from Zeke as they hit the floor hard. Zed screamed as his shoulder made contact with the hard tile floor, absorbing a large amount of impact. Bucky immediately began to race towards the two, and nearly collided with Addison as she to ran forward to help.

They both stared at one another in complete astonishment for one short second. Then, they dashed together to Zed and Zeke, who was still pinned under a clearly agonized Zed.

"Hurry!" Zed gasped.

Together, Bucky and Addison managed to make fairly quick work of removing the shards, both receiving multiple slices into their fingers and hands as they worked.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, it was over.

The four zombies were all back online, due to quick action of their fellow human and zombie students. The hall that had been filled with screams and shouts had now devolved into Zita's muffled sobs, The continued dull ring of the alarms, and what Bucky was fairly certain were curse words spilling out of Zed's mouth in hushed zombie tongue. Bucky quickly stood and sprinted back towards Zita, only to find that he was suddenly a lightheaded. He sat roughly next to her on the cold floor, and leaned his head against the lockers behind them in hopes of alleviating his dizziness.

Zita was still letting out tiny, hiccuping cries. Without thinking, he reached over and took her hand, letting her squeeze it as she wept. He looked down at his traitorous hand, and again wondered whether the great Bucky Buchanan had lost him mind. There were suddenly about 20 adults in the hallway as z-patrol and teachers finally arrived. For a moment, there was silence from the flabbergasted officers, who had clearly not expected the scene that was unfolded before them. Ms. Lee was striding towards one of the other recovering zombies, her heels clipping loudly against the floor as the z-alarm abruptly stopped.

Bucky sucked in a deep breath, trying to ease his mildly spinning head.

A few other teachers and z-patrol officers followed, rushing to help the students and ensure that no one had been hurt. Over where Addison, Zed and Zeke were sitting, an officer seemed to already be taking a statement from them.

"-heard the z-alarm, and came to help. We recognized the glowing fragments, but I have no idea where the shards of moonstone came from. Maybe one of the wolves necklaces broke or something?"

"No," Bucky said, rapidly swiveling his head to face the little group and becoming nauseated in the process.

"This wasn't an accident. Someone did this on purpose."

Then, in keeping with the dramatics of his normal self, Bucky fainted.


	21. Chapter 21

Hey dear friends!

So, I have some fun news! I recently started a tumbr account, where I will be posting info and details about my fics and doing some character bios for any OCs I make. My username is Swarthy-Warthog (of course). Follow me at blog/swarthy-warthog

Now, back to the story! Please favorite, follow and review! You guys are amazing!

ZzZzZzZ

Addison breathed in the smell of the evening forest as she and Zed walked together towards the wolf den. Their hands, held together with fingers intertwined, swung back and forth between them. Behind the couple, Eliza, Bonzo, Bree and Bucky were trudging along through the foliage, rocks, and tree trunks. While it wasn't quite autumn yet, she could now feel the familiar chill in the breeze as it caused her hair to dance about in messy waves. Despite the somewhat solemn tone of the group, she couldn't help but grin a little. Addison loved everything fall-related, including pumpkins, chai lattes, and cozy bonfire nights with her friends.

This wasn't exactly the average bonfire night, though.

Tonight, the goal was to reconvene with all of the involved zombies, humans, wolves, and Lunites, and try to form a more solid plan. Wyatt had assured everyone that Mayar and a few of the other Lunites would be there. Today's events at the school would add even more stress to the situation. She was certain that the zombies had been made feral on purpose, but she didn't know why. She hoped that maybe her friends or sister might be able to provide some illumination into the mystery.

Another large concern for Addison was that she hadn't actually told Bucky about any of it. The moonstone, the Lunites, her powers. Not to mention her extremely unexpected heritage. He was going to freak. Unfortunately, when Bucky had awakened only seconds after fainting, she hadn't had a chance to say anything to him other than "Emergency Bonfire meeting, tonight. Come by my house at seven o'clock." There were too many others around to say more.

He had given her a quizzical look, but then nodded from his place on the floor. To be honest, she had been to shocked by Bucky's unanticipated kindness towards the zombies that she had momentarily forgotten everything else. He had helped them. He hadn't run, hadn't tried to bring them harm. He had stayed to help ensure that the zombies were safe. Such actions from him were unprecedented.

Of course, then a z-patrol officer appeared next to them, and all chances of having a conversation with her cousin were vanquished, as Bucky immediately launched into a dramatic monologue about "being a hero" and "deserving a key to the city." Medical personnel had arrived on the scene by that time, and so she, Bucky, and Zed were led to the nurse's office.

Addison looked down at her hand in Zed's, which was now covered in an assortment of brightly colored band-aids. Bucky's hands matched, but his cuts were even more numerous since he had already helped Zita by the time Zeke had lunged for him. Zed's shoulder was now re-broken, and he was stuck in his brace for at least another week. The others, the zombies who had gone feral, were led to one of the safe rooms to be examined, and to determine if they would need to go to containment.

Surely that wouldn't happen. It wasn't even their fault.

"What are you thinking about?" Zed asked.

While she had been lost in thought, he had been watching her facial expressions.

"A lot of things. But, mainly I'm thinking that we should catch Bucky up to speed on what's going on, before we get to the wolves' den and he sees a bunch of aliens standing around."

His eyes widened slightly and he glanced back towards her cousin, who was vehemently describing his earlier heroics to a very irritated-looking Eliza. Zed grinned as he looked back to Addison, and he squeezed her hand extremely gently so as not to hurt her many cuts. She smiled back. He was so handsome. To be honest, she was pretty sure that the new scar to his forehead had only made him look better.

The couple slowed to a stop, causing Bree and Bonzo to nearly run directly into them.

"We need to talk to Bucky before we get there." Addison said.

"He needs some context before he meets, um, our new friends." Zed added, clearly not quite sure how to describe the Lunites.

Bonzo's mouth popped open, and Bree flung her head towards Bucky, who had still been in the middle of annoying Eliza.

"What?" They both said in unison, each sounding frustrated for completely different reasons.

"Bucky," Addison started. "Ah, we have a few things that we need to tell you. It has to do with the attack at school today, at least we think it does." Everyone else seemed to nod in agreement.

He arched an eyebrow, his large eyes staring them all down as he waited.

He silently gestured for her to continue, and Addison could tell that despite his ever-confident expression, he was nervous.

They stood in a loose circle, surrounded by a subdued orchestra of singing crickets as Addison began to speak.

"Okay Bucky. I know you know about the attack today, but there's a little more information you need to have. First off, the 'mysterious explosion' in Zombietown wasn't an explosion. It was a second moonstone, crashing into earth, like a meteor. Then, the next morning, Wyatt went missing in the haunted woods."

At this point, Bucky went slightly pale. She felt like she was overloading him, but taking time to let things absorb wasn't really an option at the moment

Hesitantly, Addison continued.

"That's why me, Zed and the rest of us were gone for several hours. We were looking for him. And we found him in the haunted woods, safe at sound."

"But we found something else there, too" Eliza interjected.

"Something we weren't expecting to find. There are people living in the haunted woods. Well, underneath them. They're called Lunites. That's who we're meeting with tonight at the bonfire meeting."

"You'll like them." Addison cut in.

"They're kind and helpful. And... They look a lot like me."

Bucky glared at her.

"What does that mean?"

Addison paused. She suddenly felt extremely self-consious. This was the kind of conversation she would rather have with her cousin in private, since explaining her lineage was probably going to be a little upsetting for both of them.

"Hey guys," Zed said, sensing her discomfort.

"Let's, ah, go on ahead, give them a little space."

He winked at her, and she smiled gratefully. Zed might not be able to read her thoughts like she could his, but he didn't need to. He just knew her that well.

Eliza took the lead, looking very glad to have escaped her conversation with Bucky. Addison could feel her relief sprinkling down onto her head like raindrops. The others followed, including Zed, pacing far enough ahead that they were out of earshot, but not out of view.

_Love you, Ads. _Zed thought to her as he continued ahead with the others.

Beginning a slow walk, Addison proceeded to explain all she had learned about her unusual parental history. Bucky was uncharacteristically quiet as she spoke, and the only sounds for a few minutes were her words and the crunching of leaves beneath their feet. When she had finished, he remained silent for a long moment, and Addison found herself growing anxious as she felt Bucky's unease mount. His eyes were comically large as he pondered her words.

"So... You're an alien?" He finally said.

"Yep."

"But you're still my cousin, right?"

"Yep."

Bucky seemed to relax slightly.

"Well, as long as we've got that, we'll be great." He said, nodding confidently as he flashed his presidential, cheerleader smile.

Addison smiled. She had been pleasantly surprised the past few days at the progress her older cousin had been making. He really seemed to have matured a lot in the last few months. His actions today at school, as well as his reaction to her revelation just now, were proof of that.

"I'm really proud of you, Buckster."

He arched a dramatic eyebrow.

"One, never call me that again." He said, waving a finger at her in a scolding gesture.

Then, she swore she saw a faint blush as he averted is eyes and offered a mumbled "thanks."

Deciding not to further embarrass him, Addison simply grinned, and nodded her head towards the wolf den.

"Let's catch up with the others."

Together, they walked the rest of the short journey, turning their conversation towards more comfortable subjects, like cheerleading and their routine ideas for sectionals.

ZzZzZzZ

The small group of Lunites walked quietly through the woods, huddled close together as they traveled in the direction of the wolves's den. Of course, they had been to the den many times, but always in their tunnels where they were safe and unseen. Out in the open, everything seemed too bright and a little creepy, even though night had fallen and it was technically safe for them to be out. Their hair glowed dimly beneath their hoods and shawls, obscuring most of their light.

Mayar glanced to her side, gently grasping her friend Qamar's hand as she felt his nervousness. He looked back at her, gently squeezing her hand in return.

Qamar was a year or so younger than her, but was already far taller than Mayar ever would be. He had full, pale lips and dark blue eyes, with shoulder-length, spiraling white hair. Most of them kept their hair long, even the males, since their hair was also their source of light much of the time.

_You sure about this? _He asked without speaking.

_Of course!_ She replied confidently.

_Starlight is my little sister, and her friends are good people. You know that, you've had scouting assignments in both Zombietown and the wolves' den._

_I'm not worried about the zombies or the wolves, or your sister. _He replied with a grin.

_But if we continue to go out in the Above like this, the humans are going to discover us. _They're_ the ones that make me worried. They don't have the best history with non-human beings._

Aruna, the only other friend Mayar had talked into coming, was nearly bouncing with excitement.

_Oh, come on, Qamar! How are you not completely psyched? I've been waiting my whole life to do something this interesting! _

Her long, straight hair waved about under her hood, which had partially slid off of her head as she moved about. Aruna had green eyes, similar to Mayar's, and was also far taller than her. She had lovely, almond shaped eyes, and a bright smile gleamed in the low blue light of her hair.

Mayar nodded, feeling her friend's joy and excitement seeping into her skin.

Unlike Qamar, who was cautious and quiet, Aruna was exuberant and joyous. Her job was generally to watch out for the smaller children while their parents were scouting, and she was beyond thrilled to be invited to the Above.

Mayar squeezed Qamar's hand again, hoping to lend him some of her strength and confidence in their newfound friends.

_They are good people, Qamar. I know that and so do you. As for the humans... We will just have to cross that bridge when we trip over it._

Qamar stifled a laugh.

_I'm not sure you're saying that phrase right._

Mayar and Aruna joined him in his quiet laughter as they continued to the den. They were nearly there, now.

Despite her assurances, Mayar actually was a little nervous.

Wyatt would be there.

It was not an emotion she was used to, but she really wanted him to like her. And to like how she looked. She knew that it was vain, but when she had dressed for the evening, she had chosen her most brightly colored outfit. A deep royal blue top and dark grey harem pants, with a midnight blue capelet and a single, shimmering earring made out of silver.

Lunites were a minimalist people, but they occasionally obtained accessories from Seabrook's cast-off jewelry and fabrics. Much like the zombies did, they made their refurbished jewelry and decorations from old appliances and items that had been thrown away by humans. This silver earring was the only jewelry item Mayar owned, other than the dainty necklace of tiny Obsidian crystals her mother had left her, which she always wore under her clothing.

Aruna leaned over across from Qamar, sending her friend a sympathetic smile.

_Mayar, of course he likes you back! Namid was in the tunnels today, and at dinner he said you were the only thing Wyatt was thinking about _all day_... He said it got annoying after a while._

Mayar couldn't help but brighten as her cheeks blushed a light blue.

_Oh, Mayar's got a boyfriend! _Qamar quipped, dipping his snowy eyebrows up and down in mock-flirtatiousness.

"Stop it you guys! We're almost there, he'll hear you!" She playfully nudged him, causing Qamar to bump into Aruna as they all giggled again.

_And remember, _she said, we have to talk out loud while we're there. _They won't be able to hear us, otherwise._

"Oh, right." Aruna said, her voice warbling heavily as she attempted to speak aloud. Since their vocal chords were formed differently than other species, Lunites often sounded like they were trying to speak through water. Mayar had more practice than her friends.

"It must be so strange, having to speak with your mouth all the time." She continued, absent-mindedly feeling her face and lips as she spoke.

"It sounds exhausting." Qamar tried, also feeling his face and placing a hand to his throat as his voice quavered.

_Ugh, that will take some getting used to._ He muttered in her head.

"Well, we'll get plenty of practice, because it looks like we're here!"

She gestured forward, where the nearby light of the fire danced along the outer rock walls of the den. Further away, Mayar could hear Addison, Zed and the others approaching.

With Mayar and Aruna grinning, and Qamar looking worried, the three linked arms and strode together into the light of the campfire.


	22. Chapter 22

Author's Note: Hello again!

This weeks Tumblr post is a character bio for Charon. Personally, when I read, it helps me to be able to visualize characters, so I have included my reference photo. Follow me at Swarthy-Warthog.

In this chapter, Wyatt gets jealous, we learn some new information about Charon, and hear something unexpected from Bucky.

Please follow, favorite and review! Y'all are amazing! Wash your hands, wear your face masks, and practice social distancing!

ZzZzZzZ

It had been a long day.

Wyatt had been in the library when the z-alarm had gone off at school. He and Wynter, who had been studying with him, had stood instantly from their seats with enough force to knock the chairs to the floor. They had immediately broken into a run, following the distant sounds of screams and chaos. Unfortunately, the library was on the other end of the building, and it had taken some maneuvering through several retreating students and congested hallways to reach the source of the commotion.

By the time they got, there, though, the z-alarm was silent again, and the feral zombies had been subdued. Wyatt had skidded into the hall, staring shocked at the sight of his friends on the floor. Addison, hands bleeding, was next to Zed on the ground. He was clutching his injured shoulder, swearing vehemently in zombie tongue. Bucky seemed to have fainted, his limp hand being grasped tightly by a hysterical zombie cheerleader whose name he didn't know.

The floor was littered with small, glowing purple shards that he recognized immediately as broken pieces of moonstone. The floor was also splattered with small droplets of blood, apparently from Addison's and Bucky's hands. They still didn't know the full story, but it seemed as though someone had set up some kind of booby-trap outside the gym where the cheerleaders practiced. Wyatt wasn't certain, but he had a pretty good theory as to who had done it, and why. One of many subjects that they would have to discuss tonight.

_Crunch._

Wyatt looked up from the fire as he heard the nearby shuffling of leaves and snapping of small sticks beneath feet. Willa, Wynter, and the others glanced up as well, hushed conversation ceasing altogether as three pale, long haired figures strode out of the trees and into the clearing surrounding the fire. They were all clothed in long sleeves with harem-style pants, and each one wore a large hood over their heads that partially obscured their faces. He felt his heartbeat pick up as Mayar's bright green eyes met his across the flames.

She looked almost ethereal.

She was wearing a small capelet of deep blue, with a blue top and dark grey pants. She wore dark leather moccasins, and a single, shimmering earring. He flinched as realized it was silver, but still couldn't help but admire her beauty. Despite being older than Addison, she was several inches shorter than her, and had those gorgeous, piercing green eyes. Her hair, which seemed to always look disheveled and messy, stuck out at adorable, frizzy angles from under her hood. Her green eyes widened slightly as she raised a hand to her earring, as though just having remembered it was there.

_She can hear what you're thinking about, idiot._ Wyatt's brain chastised him.

She must have heard his inner flinch at the silver. Mayar instantly removed the offending earring, and hastily stuck it in her back pocket.

_Sorry_. She mouthed earnestly.

He grinned and waved a dismissive hand, watching as she blushed in the light of the fire.

Unlike humans, zombies and wolves, it appeared that the Lunites did not blush in shades of pinks and reds. Her cheeks had filled with color, but rather than a warm tone, her cheeks turned a light, periwinkle shade. The effect was oddly beautiful.

But, Wyatt was starting to realized that he may have a biased opinion when it came to Mayar's beauty.

"Hello everyone!" Said a taller, grinning female Lunite with long, incredibly straight and smooth hair. Her voice wavered in that unusual way he had noticed when he first met Mayar. The girl looked like she was about to burst with excitement.

"Hello," Mayar echoed her friend, more clearly, looking around at the small group of young wolves who were loosely gathered around the circle.

"My name is Mayar, half-sister to your friend, Starl-, erm, Addison."

The wolves acknowledged her with kind, yipping barks and welcoming nods.

"And these are my dear friends, Aruna and Qamar."

It was at this point that Wyatt suddenly noticed that all three of the figures' arms were linked together, bodies close enough to be touching. He wasn't sure with the close contact was a cultural thing, or something else. Either way, he was completely surprised as a growl attempted to wriggle it's way up his throat. He tamped it down, inwardly scolding himself.

_Don't wolf out; she can hold hands with whoever she wants. Why would I care?_

He ignored his own inner question as Willa spoke up in a projected, authoritative voice.

"We are all honored by your presence, Lunites. As the pack leader, I hope that our two peoples will become great friends and allies."

Mayar and the other two figures smiled happily towards Willa.

"That is precisely our wish as well, pack leader." Mayar replied.

"Excellent."

Then Willa grinned, relaxing a bit from her formal tone and posture.

"Now that formalities are out of the way, come have a seat, guys! Our human and zombie friends should be showing up momentarily."

As if on cue, Zed, Eliza, Bonzo and Bree strode out of the treeline, as the Lunites sat on the timber benches that surrounded the fire pit. The four were followed closely by Addison and Bucky. Wyatt involuntarily wrinkled his nose. He knew that Bucky was trying very hard to be a better person. He had even seen himself that Bucky had made progress. But, that still didn't change the face that Wyatt found him annoying, shallow and rude at best. Looking to the Lunites, he noticed that Qamar was also staring at Bucky with a look of distain.

Wyatt watched as Mayar stood, grinning broadly towards the approaching humans and zombies. Addison broke from her group to walk over and embrace her sister. They seemed to be silently speaking with one another, Mayar nodding and Addison staring back at her. It was a little fascinating to see Lunites "talk" to one another. Though they didn't make a sound, their facial expressions fluctuated and changed just as they would in a normal, verbal conversation.

Mayar's expression grew serious, as did the other Lunites, as they seemed to be hearing something from either Addison or the rest of the group.

"We knew that there was an incident at the school today, thanks to the scouts, but we hadn't been able to get any details. The glitches were caused by shards of moonstone?"

The entire group nodded or dipped their heads in agreement as everyone took a seat.

"Yeah," Zed said, "but we have no idea how or why. I mean, it sounds like something that Charon guy would do, but why attack zombie students? What purpose would it serve?"

Absentmindedly, he loosely wrapped his good arm around Addison, who also looked puzzled.

"I think I know why." Wyatt stated, cheeks coloring mildly as the entire group, including his sister, turned to him in surprise.

"And why would that be, Wyatt?" Willa asked, arching an eyebrow. Eliza had taken a seat next to her, and he noticed that they were sitting extremely close to one another.

"Ah, well," he cleared his throat, "think about it. The other day, when we found each other outside the Crater, Zed was basically weaponized to attack us." Wyatt watched as Zed's eyebrows dipped down in anger, and could tell that his friend hated the idea that he'd been used in such a way.

"But he didn't attack the rest of us. He only attacked Mayar. Why did you go for her, specifically, Zed?"

Zed blinked, as though that particular thought hadn't occurred to him until this moment.

"I..." He started, glancing from Wyatt to Addison to Mayar.

"I mean, I wasn't exactly thinking clearly, but... When I was running out of the car, after Charon took my z-band, I remember an image of her in my head. But she didn't look like she does now., She looked big, mean, and evil."

Zed suddenly gasped.

"Oh jeez, he totally manipulated me! He was probably putting that image in my head, right? To make me think _Mayar _was the bad guy." He looked to her again.

"I'm so sorry, Mayar."

Mayar shook her head, reaching out to grasp his hand. Boy, the Lunites were a very touchy-feely group.

"It wasn't your fault, Zed. It was my father's. But, that also tells us that he was specifically targeting... Me." Mayar flinched at her own comment, and the flinch was immediately echoed by Addison, Aruna and Qamar as they experienced her pain second-hand. Wyatt wished he could comfort her in some way, but he tried to focus on the topic at hand.

"Right," Wyatt cut in.

"So, we know that Charon essentially attacked his daughter by way of a rogue zombie. Then, today, a trap was set up right outside the cheerleader's gymnasium. Which means he was probably trying to hurt someone who is a cheerleader. Someone who hangs out with zombies, and would potentially be injured by the blast and then attacked by the rogues."

Wyatt looked directly at Addison, who's mouth dropped open.

"Who, me?" Bucky suddenly interrupted, standing from his seated position next to Bonzo and Eliza.

Qamar, the male Lunite, leveled him with an impressive glare.

"No, you idiot." Qamar warbled as he spoke. "He's talking about Starlight. Addison."

Addison closed her eyes briefly.

"Me." She stated. "He hurt those zombies to try and attack _me._"

Her guilt was palpable as she sat in quiet shock.

Wyatt nodded.

"Yes, which means that for some reason, Charon is trying to kill or incapacitate his own daughters."

ZzZzZzZ

Zed felt Addison grow instantly tense as she absorbed this new information.

He leaned in, offering her a gentle, comforting squeeze.

"Why would he do that?" Zed asked, turning to Mayar, who looked similarly stricken.

"Why would he attack you both now, after a lifetime of never attempting to contact you?"

Mayar gazed pensively towards the fire, her head tilted to the side.

"It's always hard to tell with Charon, but I believe it must have something to do with the moonstone. Perhaps he considers his children to be his largest threat. Family members can hear each other's thoughts more clearly, so he's probably concerned that Starlight and I will be able to figure out his plan before he has a chance to implement it."

"He should be worried." Addison cut in, causing Zed to whip his head down to face her.

The light from the flames danced along her cheekbones as her hair glowed faintly. She looked brave and beautiful and determined.

"Because that's exactly what we're going to do."

Zed stared down at her, almost feeling her determination bleeding into him, making him feel braver himself. Actually, maybe that was exactly what was happening. She grinned up at him, looking radiant. They maintained eye contact briefly, as he heard the sounds of a few wolves yipping and barking in agreement with her statement. His girlfriend was amazing.

"Okay," Eliza said, nodding firmly.

"So how to we get to him? He's on the city council, right? We could crash the weekly meeting. It's tomorrow evening. Or we could use your tunnels to get to his house?"

"There are no tunnels leading to Charon's house." Aruna replied. "He filled them in when he purchased his estate, and our elders didn't think it was wise to rebuild them. We stay as far from him as possible, and he stays away from us."

"But this meeting," Quamar cut in. "that could actually work. He won't be able to do anything dangerous, because it would out him as not being human. You would both be able to get relatively close to him."

"That's... That could work." Mayar said, grasping her friends' hands as she considered it.

They all seemed to constantly be touching, in some way. Zed wondered if physical contact increased their ability to speak with one another.

"That's correct, Zed." Mayar nodded, causing looks of confusion from most of the group as she continued. "Though we need to use caution. We can't cause a scene. Not to mention, he can do pretty extensive damage without being violent."

Bucky suddenly cut in, waving jazz hands towards the center of the circle, to draw the attention of the rest.

"Hey. Bucky here. President. Hero. Cheer Expert. I could go on," he stated with a flourish, of his arms.

"But, no time. I have a question." Bucky stated clearly, wide eyes looking from person to person.

"By the moon," grumbled Qamar, "_What?_"

Bucky glared back at him, the two young men locking eyes as they stared at one another.

"As I was about to ask, before being so _rudely _interrupted, can anyone tell me what he looks like? I mean, I know he has long white hair, and is on the couns... Wait."

Bucky looked like someone had slapped the back of his head.

"Wait. Are you guys talking about Charles Moon?"

The entire group was silent, looking at him with mild confusion and annoyance.

"Who?" Zed asked, voicing everyone else's reaction to the question.

"Charles Moon. He's low-key, but like, a huge deal in Seabrook. He's super rich, drives a fancy black car, wears his hair in a braid."

"That's him!" Addison jumped in, enthusiastic.

"How do _you _know him?" Eliza asked.

"Well, for one thing," Bucky replied, "he was the one who donated all of the funds for the new Cheer Pavillion."

_Woah, _Zed thought.

_That isn't just rich. That's filthy, stinking rich._

Addison snorted out a short laugh at Zed, causing him to grin at her.

Bucky, looking annoyed at the interruption, continued.

"And for another thing, I talked to him yesterday evening at school."

Zed felt his mouth pop open.

ZzZzZzZ


	23. Chapter 23

Author's Note: Hello again, Zeddison fans! Of course, you know I love cliffhangers, so I've left one for you. This weeks character bio on tumblr will be about Mayar!

Love y'all! Follow, like and review, and most importantly, be safe out there!

ZzZzZzZ

"You what?" Eliza barked, leaning forward as the glow of the fire cascaded across her face.

The rest of the group was also leaning in towards Bucky, all wearing various expressions of confusion and surprise.

"What?" Bucky said defensively.

"I didn't know who he was! How could I?" He raised his hands again in defense.

"Bucky," Addison said, "what was he doing at the school? Why were you talking to him?"

"He asked to meet with me, since I'm kind of co-captaining the team. He wanted to ask if the cheer squad would be willing to perform on stage between bands at the Shore Day Festival."

"What did you tell him?" Addison asked.

It creeped her out a little, to know that Charon had been so close to her without her knowing, and that he had been able to cause so much chaos in such a short amount of time. It felt weird to be targeted by someone who was technically her relative. And it hurt.

"I said yes, of course." Bucky continued animatedly.

"It's excellent publicity for the squad. Obviously we need to do it."

"And you didn't bother to ask me, _the captain_, before agreeing, Bucky?"

Addison huffed furiously.

Though she had been cheer captain for some time now, it had been very difficult for Bucky to fully give up control of the squad. And now he was scheduling performances.

With the bad guy.

"Well, with any luck," Willa interrupted, clearly not even mildly concerned with cheer squad politics. "It won't matter, because after tomorrow, we'll have found out what his plans are."

"And we'll stop him, whatever it is he's up to." Eliza stated.

As Addison watched, Eliza reached discretely down to the small space between her and Willa, and gently squeezed Willa's hand. Addison smiled, feeling the happiness and elation of finally-requited love radiating forward from her friends. She was so elated for them.

_It's hard not to get distracted, isn't it?_

Addison whipped her head around to face Mayar, who was also gazing at the couple across the fire.

_Yeah, it is. _Addison replied, slightly embarrassed. _How do you manage it?_

_A lifetime of practice. _Mayar quipped, smiling back at her.

_Don't worry. You're doing great. It'll get easier as time goes._

While she was sure her sister had meant it to be encouraging, that comment completely derailed Addison's attention to the group's conversation.

It was at that moment moment that Addison realized; she was probably going to be feeling everyone's emotions for the rest of her life. She might not be hearing everyone's thoughts, as the full-blooded Lunites did. But still, a lifetime of the feelings of others being constantly bombarded at her... It was a lot. She had been so busy basking in the joy of finally learning the truth about her hair, and practicing her newfound abilities, she had never actually taken a moment to ponder the permanence of of it.

Of course, there was always the chance that it might go away, but these new gifts didn't seem like something fleeting or temporary.

They felt permanent. They felt like they were a part of her, now.

Addison abruptly stood up, getting strange looks from everyone except Mayar, Aruna and Qamar.

"I need to get some fresh air." She said, turning to face the woods.

"We're outside." Willa stated, arching an eyebrow. "How much fresher can you get?"

_Addy?_

Zed was looking up at her, still seated, his face full of concern.

"I'm okay." She lied.

"Really, I just need to take a quick walk by myself. I'll be right back, I promise."

His brows dipped down, and she could tell, could feel that he didn't believe her. But he also knew that she needed space, and that she was going through a weird time right now. He wanted her to do whatever she needed to process the events of the last few days. She could hear it all, directly from her love's brain. Normally she found his thoughts comforting, but at the moment, all she could feel was panic.

Addison vaguely remembered that she wanted to ask Mayar about that. Why could she hear Zed's thoughts, but no one else's? But she couldn't focus on that now.

She needed to get away from everyone, just for a minute, to gather herself.

"I'll be right back, everyone. Keep strategizing." She managed to use her years of cheerleading skills to offer up a fairly pleasant-looking smile.

Giving zed's arm a squeeze, and feeling her hand sting at the movement, she quickly walked around the bench and towards the treeline. She could still hear Zed's concern, but he wasn't going to try and follow her. He could tell that she needed the time alone. Everyone else around the fire was emanating a mixture of worry and bewilderment. She just needed to get far enough away that she was alone in her head. Just for a minute.

Walking into the dense trees, she inhaled deeply. The smell of the night forest was soothing. As she strode away from the soft glow of the fire, she could hear the sounds of nature. Though it was night, the woods were full of activity. Insects chirped animatedly, and in the distance, she could hear an owl hooting lazily into the night air.

Leaves crunched underfoot. Addison continued to take deep, measured breaths as the noise in her head faded with the increasing distance.

While it wasn't something she talked about, Addison was no stranger to panic attacks.

The pressure of having to be so perfect had weighed heavily on her when she was a small child, and Addison had picked up a few tips for dealing with them from her middle school counselor.

Focus on the things around you. What can you smell, what can you feel?

Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth.

Picture your happy place.

Zed was the only person besides Bree, Bucky and her parents who had ever been around her when she had a panic attack, and he was the only person in the whole world who could help her get through one. Honestly, her "happy place" would probably be walking with Zed at the beach, but she'd have to settle for the sounds and feel of the forest and the night sky.

She tried to center her thoughts on the smell of moss and damp earth, and the sound of cicadas singing to her through the leaves. Reaching out, she let her injured hand brush against a tree trunk as she strode past it. The bark was rough, and warmer than the slightly chilled air that surrounded her. Looking up, she realized that she had walked out far enough that the light from the camp fire was no longer visible.

Addison slowed to a stroll. She gazed up at the moon, now her only source of light. It was hard to believe that once, hundreds and hundreds of years ago, her people had lived beneath it's battered, desolate surface. She slowed to a stop, admiring it's unexpected loveliness.

Concentrating, she willed her hair to glow. She was rewarded with muted, white-blue flickers of light that ran up and down each strand of hair.

Like miniature shooting stars.

Maybe Starlight was a fitting name for her after all.

Exhaling again, she finally felt her heart rate slowing, her racing thoughts stilled as she took in the beauty of the darkened world around her.

She was okay.

Everything was going to be okay.

The white-blue of her hair pulsated, apparently glowing brighter as her nerves eased.

She could do this. These new abilities would test her, and she knew that there would be times when she would hate having access to everyone's feelings. But Addison was no coward. Like everything else in life, she would face this head-on.

Plus, she wasn't alone.

She had her friends. To some extent, she had her family. And most importantly, she had Zed. As long as they were together, they could get through anything.

_Snap._

Ahead of her, she heard the quiet snapping of a twig, as though someone had stepped on one as they walked in the darkness.

"I'm okay, Zed, I j—" She stopped.

That couldn't be Zed.

It was coming from the opposite direction.

Suddenly, the fact that there was someone out there trying to kill or maim her came to the forefront of her mind. Why in the world had she thought walking alone in the woods at night was a good idea?

Gasping, Addison's hair dimmed to nothing as she looked for a place to hide. But there was nothing around. The rocks were too small to crouch behind, the tall , narrow trees not wide enough to be an effective cover.

Frozen in fear, she could only watch with mounting terror as a pale figure, clad in dark clothing, strode into the small clearing.

ZzZzZzZ

Zed sighed as he watched Addison practically sprint into the trees.

He could tell that she was on the verge of an anxiety attack. In the last couple of years, he had become able to easily read the signs when one was building. She would tense up all over, and her hands would tremble. Her breathing would quicken to the point that she would get dizzy, sometimes.

Usually, he would cuddle with her on her bed, reminding her to breathe until it passed. If they were at school, she would text him and they would meet in the panic room. Until recently, he had no idea, personally, what a panic attack might actually feel like. Seeing how it upset Addison, he had counted himself lucky. Thanks to his dramatic car ride with Charon, though, he now had a much better idea.

"Should we go after her?" Bree asked, casting a concerned look from Zed to the treeline.

Bonzo hugged her gently as he faced the same direction.

"Nah, let's give her a few minutes." Zed replied reluctantly. "This whole 'feeling everyone's emotions and having telepathy' has to be impossible to adjust to."

Eliza looked pained.

"It sounds like it would be terrible. I really don't know how weird it must be for you guys." That last statement had been directed towards the Lunites.

"Well," Mayar said. "It's not really weird when it's all you've ever known."

Qamar nodded solemnly.

"Starlight is in an entirely unique predicament. She is the only one in the world who is part Lunite and part human. She has a lot to become accustomed to."

"Speaking of which, Carmel." Bucky cut in, shooting Qamar another glare.

"It's KAH-MARE." He replied shortly, returning the glare with one of his own.

Clearly, the two weren't going to be best friends anytime soon.

"Why IS Addison suddenly able to do these things? She's never had any 'abilities' her whole life, other than being an amazing cheerleader." Bucky stated.

Did Bucky just pay someone a compliment? Sort of? Zed was mildly impressed.

"Our best guess," Aruna replied, "Is that the arrival of the second moonstone is what triggered it. The presence of so much of it's power seems to have tipped her inner scale from being more human, to being more Lunite. As long as it remains on this planet, she will likely continue to have these powers."

Zed had guessed as much, but he couldn't help but feel a small amount of shock. And nonsensical guilt, because it was apparently his thoughts that she would be stuck with. For the rest of their lives, if he had anything to say about it.

Whatever had changed in Addison, nothing would ever be enough to change his feelings for her. He thought fleetingly of the far-too-expensive ring he had picked out for her. The center was a large, oval aquamarine stone, surrounded with a halo of diamonds. It was beautiful and unique, just like her. The blue of the aquamarine would compliment her eyes perfectly. He would hopefully be able to put a down payment on it in the next few months.

Around him, casual conversations were breaking out amongst the unusual group of people. Apparently, the meeting was on break until Addison came back.

"She'll say yes, you know." Mayar stated simply, smiling sweetly towards him.

"What, you can read the future too, now?" He replied, laughing slightly.

"Nope." She said, shaking her head. "But anyone could read that future. Especially since she can hear your thoughts. Lunites have an especially strong connection to our mates. Otherwise, she probably wouldn't to be able to hear you like she can."

"So..." He felt a strange fullness in his chest. "You're saying that the fact that she can hear my thoughts is basically proof that we're... soulmates?"

"Exactly."

At this, Zed felt his face break into a wide grin. He didn't know exactly how to respond to that, but it made him feel indescribably happy.

Mayar was telling him what he'd always known. It was the same thing that Addison had written to him in one of the letters destroyed by the Aceys.

_Zed, always know this... we belong together._

He knew, now.

A high, frantic scream broke through the quiet of the night air.

Half of the assembled group stood instantly, the wolves instantly growling and flashing glowing eyes. Zed, Eliza and Bonzo were standing too, silent and tensed as they listened.

For a moment, all was silent.

Then, a second scream echoed through the trees, this time clearly the voice of a young woman.

"Zed!"

"ADDISON!"

Zed heard himself actually roar her name, despite the fact that his z-band was functioning perfectly. His mate was in danger, and his inner zombie was reacting despite the soothing electric pulsations. He was at the treeline before he knew what was happening, the wolves, Lunites and his fellow zombies right behind him.

Roaring again, he bound into the woods to rescue his love.


	24. Chapter 24

Charon's strides through the darkened forest were surprisingly quiet, despite not being much of an "outdoor" being. Though still sticking to his all black color scheme, he had made a special trip to one of Seabrook's finest clothiers to find appropriate outdoor attire. A black jacket with a matching shirt, along with ridiculously costly black denim slacks and matching hiking boots. While he was more of a suit person, he had to admit it was more comfortable. Maybe he would get a few more sets, for his evening strolls.

The plan had been to follow them from a distance, staying at the outer edge of the rocks surrounding the wolf den where they would be unable to smell or hear them. But an important call from the planning commission had delayed him by several minutes. It was hard to be so essential to the city, as well as being responsible for saving everyone in it.

So here he was, fashionably late, strolling through the trees and dirt and bugs.

He would just have to continue his original plan to listen from afar, and avoid detection. He wasn't incredibly concerned about anything these young ones might be up to. But his plans were too important to be derailed. He needed each detail to be precise if everything was to work out the way he wanted to to. So it was logical that he keep informed on any activity that might undermine him.

Up ahead, in the distance, he could suddenly see the faint, flickering light of Lunite hair. He slowed to a stop, casually pausing to examine the person standing ahead of him.

It was Starlight.

His nostrils flared, the mildest of worries crossing his mind before he dismissed them. She could complicate everything if she heard what he had locked away in his brain. But, then again, this might also be the easiest way to get the information he wanted. She was too new to her powers, like an infant. He should be able to easily subdue her. Then, he wouldn't have to risk getting any closer to the assorted group of monsters gathered around a nearby fire. Sure, they'd know he's been there, but, as he'd thought to himself already, he wasn't worried about their fumbling attempts to stop him.

He'd be back in his comfy home office, reading and enjoying a brandy before ten o' clock.

It was an unpleasant thing, attacking his children. First, he'd sent that fool of a zombie after Mayar, his eldest. The child who killed his wife. Then, he'd attempted an even more theatrical attack on Starlight. It had served little success other than to spread chaos, which was fun, but ultimately not useful. He wasn't going to kill Starlight, though. At least not at the moment.

Not that he particularly cared for either of their safety. Hurting or potentially killing his daughters would be a necessary sacrifice, a possibility he had accepted in order to further his goals. But he took no joy in hurting them, either. They were still his children after all. And Starlight was an interesting anomaly. Part Lunite and part human, with powers that had not blossomed until a second moonstone crashed into the earth. The crash itself had proved to be a wonderful bit of serendipity for him, and for the rest of Seabrook.

Well, he might as well go and say hello to his youngest daughter.

He abruptly slammed his heel against a stick, breaking it to announce his arrival.

She turned, facing towards him but not yet seeing him, as he had the sense to keep his hair darkened.

Oblivious half-human. She had a lot to learn, and almost no time in which to learn it.

As she turned her head frantically from side to side, searching for some kind of hiding place, he loped easily into the small clearing. Grinning broadly towards her, he allowed light to flow through his smoothly braided hair, bathing the area in a gentle blue light.

"Charon." She breathed, attempting to sound brave and unbothered.

"Hello, Starlight." He said.

"Though I suppose I should call you Addison, yes? You prefer your human name, don't you?"

"It's what I'm used to." She replied. She was frozen in a tense stance, as though prepared to bolt or counterattack if needed. He wouldn't give her the chance, though.

"Why are you talking to me?" She asked. "I thought you wanted me and Mayar dead?"

"My dear one!" He laughed, shaking his head. "Of course I don't want you dead. I simply recognize that sometimes, damage must be dealt for the greater good. Someday, you may even look back on this and thank me."

"What are you talking about?" She said. "What does that even mean?!"

But his mind was a steel trap, and nothing was getting out of there. Especially with her clumsy, untrained fumblings as she attempted to hear something from him. His smile brightened. He would have to show her how it was done.

He immediately counter-attacked, breaking down her barriers with nearly no exertion at all. As she realized what was happening, she screamed.

_Ah, planning to spy on me, Starlight? Tsk, tsk. How ungrateful you're being, when I'm just trying to help the people of Seabrook._

_Stop. _She gasped silently, trying to push her shaky barrier back into place.

_STOP._

Suddenly, she had somehow managed to block him out completely, taking him entirely by surprise. She shouldn't have been able to do it. It made him angry.

Growling as he lost his temper, he lunged for her.

Starlight screamed out her zombie's name, and lashed out at him with her right leg.

_Low-Kick!_

"Agh!" he cried, as her boot connected firmly with his shin.

_High-Kick!_

Quicker than he could track from his crumpled position, he felt her foot snap out again, clocking him squarely in the jaw. That would leave a bruise.

He was furious.

This was not how he'd planned for this outing to go. So much for quietly gathering information. But still, he had what he needed. He could hear the distant sounds of many footsteps approaching, as well as the growing buzz of a dozen minds in his head.

Charon turned, breaking into a run. He was limping and could feel his lower lip swelling slightly, but he was still very fast. As he fled, he couldn't help but laugh.

Starlight was definitely his daughter.

ZzZzZzZ

Addison had managed to mostly evade his tackle, landing two excellent kicks that would have left a human crying on the ground. Apparently full blooded Lunites were stronger than that, though. Charon was able to get back to his feet almost immediately, leaving her sprawled on the forest floor as he ran.

And fast, too, she thought as her head pounded. She could feel twigs and rocks digging into their back and arms, as she dizzily attempted to right herself.

_Ow._

She was sure he hadn't ever actually hit her, but her head throbbed like she'd received a heavy blow to her forehead. Lying back, she blinked back tears as she stared up at the stars. She'd just been attacked by her biological father. What had he done to her? She shivered as she recalled the breaking, crushing feeling as he'd knocked down whatever barrier she had unconsciously been building up. He had done it so easily. She continued to shiver and cry, trying to settle herself by counting all of the tiny, twinkling lights above her.

_One, two, three, four, five..._

Her head was pounding. She'd never experienced a headache like this in her life. She thought, in passing, of Bucky's mom, her Aunt Crissy, who had terrible migraines. On the rare occasions that she was actually home, she would often spend days at a time locked in a quiet, dark room. No stars to count.

_Six, seven, eight..._

Then she couldn't see the stars anymore, because something was blocking her view.

She saw the outline of a person's head, haloed by short green hair.

They seemed to be saying something, but she couldn't hear what it was.

She blinked again, languidly.

Her head hurt so bad.

"..ddy, can you hear me? Addy! She's not saying anything back, what's wrong with her?"

Zed's voice sounded odd, like the fluctuation of her clock radio. Hadn't her radio done that, recently?

She closed her eyes, groaning as the sound rushed back into her ears at full force.

"Addy, are you okay? Please, talk to me."

His voice was clearer now, and so was his face as she opened her eyes again. He looked absolutely terrified. She could taste the fear and guilt coming off of him. He felt like he should have been there to keep her safe, and that he should never have let her go into the woods by herself. The pain was ebbing a bit now, though it still made her wince.

"Zed." She said softly. "M' fine. Jus have a headache."

She shut her eyes again, and felt his cool lips press gently against her forehead.

_That's okay Ads,_ he said in her head, his words and his love soothing her as he spoke.

_I've got you._

Without quite knowing how, she was suddenly hoisted up into the air, Zed's arms holding her up like she was a child. She snuggled into him and rested.

The next thing she was aware of was waking up inside the wolves' den, a cool cloth on her forehead as she laid across a mattress that didn't belong to her. Zed was next to her, and the room was quiet. He was running a hand through her hair, and his other hand was holding hers. Sitting across from the bed, Mayar was holding her other hand, looking down at her sympathetically.

_Feeling better?_ She asked.

_Yeah, actually. _Addison replied. _What happened? _ Releasing her sisters hand, Addison gingerly raised her own hand to touch her forehead.

_My head hurt so bad. He didn't even hit me._

_No, he didn't need to._ Mayar replied sadly. _He's a lot older and more experienced than you, so I'm sure he expected you to be pretty easy prey._ At this point, Mayar actually laughed.

_He was wrong about that, though, wasn't he?_

Addison smiled.

"Well, the only thing more deadly than my high-kick is my low-kick."

"Addison." Zed's voice sighed in relief as he noticed she was awake.

"What happened?"

He lifted the damp cloth, flipping it to the cooler side and placing it back on her head.

Addison sighed.

"I was standing in the woods, alone, trying to catch my breath. He came out of the woods, and said... Some really bizarre stuff. He said that he didn't want Mayar and I dead, but that 'sacrifices had to be made for the greater good.'"

"The greater good?" Zed glared at nothing in particular, as though trying to sort out a puzzle in his head.

"Yeah, then... Then I tried to see what he was thinking. I thought maybe I could find out where he had the moonstone hidden. But he blocked me almost instantly, and he..." She closed her eyes briefly, remembering the blinding pain as he had invaded her head, causing her excruciating pain without moving a finger.

"It was like he was in my head, and it hurt so, so bad, and he could tell that we are spying on him. He said I was being ungrateful, because he was only hurting us to help Seabrook."

Both Zed and Mayar stared at her then, looking completely surprised.

"What could he possibly be doing with the moonstone that would be helpful to anyone?" Mayar pondered aloud.

"Nothing is worth hurting Addison." Zed practically growled, his eyes darkening briefly.

For a short second, Addison could feel a hot wave of rage cascading out of Zed, directed towards Charon. The intensity of his anger caught her completely off guard.

She sat up abruptly, the cool cloth sliding off of her head as she moved.

"Hey, I'm okay." Addison said, putting her hands over his in a placating gesture. "Zed, I'm okay."

This time, it was her pressing a soothing kiss to his forehead.

He leaned into her, inhaling deeply as he snuggled into the crook of her neck. Zed apparently found her scent comforting, as she did his. Addison smiled and wrapped an arm around his neck, carefully avoiding his injured shoulder.

"Everything's going to be okay," she said. "Charon may have a head's up about our plan to listen in tomorrow, but that doesn't mean we can't still try. I still think we should crash the city council meeting."

"I agree," said Mayar, whom Addison had nearly forgotten was still in the room. "He could still still slip up, and more importantly, he won't do anything to cause a scene in a group of Seabrook citizens. His image is extremely important to him."

Addison nodded, partially disentangling herself from Zed but not willing to entirely release her hold on him.

"I agree, too," Zed replied. "I don't know what great favor he thinks he's doing the city of Seabrook, but I don't think it can be anything good if he's willing to hurt his daughters for it. We'll do whatever we need to do to keep him in check."

Mayar stood, walking towards the door.

"I'll go and catch everyone else up on the plan. And I believe we should all be getting home, soon. Don't want you all getting into trouble again, do we?" She grinned, lifting the curtain that served as the door to the room and strode into the main room of the wolf den.

Addison sighed, leaning back into Zed's chest.

"She's right. We really do need to go home. I definitely don't want a repeat of the other night."

Zed chucked lightly against her hair.

"Me neither. Are you sure you're okay, though? Maybe you should rest a few more minutes."

"I really am fine, Zed, I promise."

_Maybe I just want an excuse to hug you a little longer._

She laughed.

"Well..." Addison conceded, "I guess a few more minutes wouldn't hurt, right?"

"Right."

They both giggled, cuddling closer together as Addison captured Zed's lips in a loving kiss.


	25. Chapter 25

Author's note: Hope you have all had a lovely week! This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but is full of Zeddison mystery and some Mayar/Wyatt (Mayatt?) cuteness! I apologize for any typos, I'm a bit on the sleep deprived side this weekend.

Next chapter, we'll get to see how the City Council meeting goes, and if they find out anything useful from Charon without causing any drama.

As always, I live for your follows and reviews! You are all wonderful!

ZzZzZzZ

Breakfast time at the Zambie house had become a hectic but comfortable morning routine for Zed and all of his friends and family. Each family unit would rotate the daily duties of cooking meals, doing laundry, and completing other necessary household chores. On this particular morning, it was Zevon who was assigned the task of cooking breakfast. He, of course, chose a zombie breakfast staple, brains-in-a-can with scrambled eggs. Despite Zed's joking that his dad's cooking tasted "like old gym sneakers," it was actually one of his favorite meals.

But today, Zed was distracted as he poked absent-mindedly at the eggs and brain on his plate. He glanced at the clock every few minutes. Zed was hoping to be able to call Addison's house, but knew that the family generally didn't wake up on Saturday until after eight-thirty in the morning. Yes, that was what they considered "sleeping in." He could call in about fifteen minutes.

Around him, the other people around the table were laughing and speaking in a comfortable blend of zombie tongue and English. The combinations of the two languages definitely made for an interesting-sounding conversation.

"Gar gors gra football Zedka argon tozezra bly troras." Bonzo chucked, throwing a small chunk of egg at Zed's head. Several zombies at the table erupted into laughter, and despite his current nerves, Zed couldn't help but join in.

"Zah, Zah, Bonska, very funny varz zigrok." Zed replied with a roll of his eyes.

He wasn't actually annoyed, though.

Bonzo grinned brightly as Zed whipped a piece of cauliflower at him, laughing as it stuck directly over his forehead in his shaggy bangs. He shook it from his hair into Eliza's plate, who glared at him with a sharply arched eyebrow before busting into laughter as well. Even the parents were chuckling now.

While Zed had been worried that it would be cramped or uncomfortable with all of them in the Zambie house, he had been pleasantly surprised by how fun it was. It was, in many ways, a lot like the sleepovers he, Bonzo and Eliza used to have when they were little. None of them seemed to mind the chore rotation, nor did they mind the close quarters.

Zed glanced up at the clock again. 8:25 a.m.

Almost.

"Anxious about something, kiddo?" Zevon asked, eyeing his son over his second helping of breakfast.

"I have to wait until after eight-thirty to call." Zed replied.

"Ah. What we discussed last night?"

"Yeah."

Zevon nodded, raising his fork to his mouth for another giant bite.

Last night, after Zed got home, he had sat up watching television with his dad after the rest of their housemates had gone to bed. Waiting until he was sure they were alone, Zed had asked his dad the question that had been burning in his brain since the bonfire meeting earlier that evening. They had talked together for a while, having a great father/son heart-to-heart. This discussion had ended in Zed asking his dad a question, which had been answered yes.

8:28 a.m.

The other occupants of the table looked mildly curious, but none of them commented as Bonzo launched into another joke about Zed's football skills. Truthfully, Zed was just happy to see that his friend was feeling better. It had been a rough few days for Bonzo. For the first three days, his friend had seemed to almost act as though he were ignoring him. It was nice for things to be back to normal. But at the moment, Zed was too anxious to dwell on Bonzo for more than a few seconds.

The clock hands ticked inaudibly onto 8:30 a.m.

Zed stood from the table, and bolted out of the room and up the stairs. On the tiny landing of the second floor, there was an ancient telephone on the wall, complete with a long, tangled cord and a rotary dial. While this phone would be an antique to a human teenager, Zed and other zombie kids had grown up using cast-offs and old junk. He would pay money just to watch Bucky try to call someone on this phone.

Zed paused, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

Then, he carefully dialed the number to Addison's house, listening to repetitive clicking of the rotary as it spun back to zero after each digit. Then, the phone rang.

After a short moment, Addison's mom answered the phone.

"Well's Residence."

"Hi, Mayor Missy, it's Zed." He said, trying to make his voice sound mature and pleasant.

"Oh, hello Zed!" Missy said, sounding surprised. "How are you doing, this morning?"

"I'm doing great, ma'am. How are you?" Zed responded automatically, allowing manners and societal cues to momentarily steer the conversation.

"Well, I'm fine," she said, "But Addison isn't here at the moment, Zed. She and Bucky are meeting with the squad for an early weekend practice this morning. They agreed to perform at the Shore Day celebration, so they are planning an abbreviated version of the routine they'll be doing at regionals."

"Oh, yes, ma'am. I know that." Zed stated, gulping audibly in his nervousness.

"Um, I... Actually, I was hoping I could talk with you and Mr. Wells."

He took in another calming breath before speaking again.

"It's about Addison."

ZzZzZzZ

Wyatt stood outside the entryway to the Crater, rocking nervously back and forth on the balls of his feet. He had told Mayar last night that he would meet her outside her home an hour before the council met at the community center that afternoon. She had been nervous about going "Above," as they called it, during the middle of the day, but was determined to accompany them. Qamar would be catching up with them a half hour later outside the community center building, after finishing up his scouting shift beneath the city. Aruna would be busy watching the smaller children, and thus was unable to come.

Wyatt let out a small sigh of frustration as he thought back over their run-in with Charon last night.

After reaching Addison, he, Willa, Wynter and two other wolves had run after Charon, hoping to catch him. To their astonishment, though, he was able to outrun them easily, despite Addison's perfectly landed kicks to his leg and face. He had never imagined that the Lunites might be so fast, and wondered if their strength was equally impressive.

He was loathe to admit it, but it hurt his wolfy pride as well as his manly pride to be so effortlessly outraced by an adult in his forties, different species or not.

Behind him, Wyatt heard the soft padding of bare feet against stone, and turned to watch a very bizarrely clad Mayar ascending the steps. She was wearing a long, slate grey cloak, with a large hood that almost completely obscured her face. Her outfit, however, was not the classic Lunite attire that he had expected. She was wearing soft, pastel pink jeans with a white belt at the waist, along with a tucked-in white shirt and a bubblegum pink jacket with silver cuffs. Beneath the cloak, a white and pink floral scarf securely covered her neck and hair, a few wild curls springing forth from beneath the scarf.

Aside from the cloak and lack of shoes, she could have passed for a normal Seabrook citizen. From beneath the hood and scarf, her bright green eyes glittered up at him.

"Wow." He mumbled before he could stop, cheeks burning mildly as he realized he had spoken aloud rather than just in his head. Not that she wouldn't have heard it, either way, he realized as he saw the gleam of her teeth as she smiled broadly.

She hesitantly walked out into the light of the day, burying her face deeper into the gigantic cloak.

"Does it look alright?" She asked, squinting up at him. "I thought it would be a good idea if we tried to blend in. Qamar has a Seabrook Power coverall with him to put on when he meets us later."

Wyatt grinned, trying to ignore the tiny jab of jealousy at the mention of Qamar.

"You look great! I mean, you know, you always look great." He grinned.

"Actually," he continued, "I thought it might be helpful if I brought you a few things."

Reaching into his backpack, Wyatt produced a medium-sized gift bag, offering it out to her.

Her smile brightened even more, which he hadn't thought was possible. She actually danced from foot to foot in her excitement.

"What is it?"

Wyatt shook his head, loudly reciting last weeks list of vocabulary words in his head so as not to spoil the surprise.

"Open it!"

She squealed with joy as she reached her hand inside the bag, pulling out a cylindrical pink bundle of fabric.

"It's a retractable umbrella," Wyatt explained at her look of confusion, as he gestured to a button on the side of the device. "Push this button, and it extends out into a huge umbrella. It will help keep you from getting too much sunlight, and it won't look as out-of-place as a cloak.

She immediately pressed the button, jumping back with an expression of happiness and astonishment as it unfolded in her hand.

"Oh, dear! That's amazing!" She laughed with delight, unclasping the cloak and allowing it to fall forgotten to the forest floor. She stared fondly at her new umbrella, now twirling it over her head. "I've heard of these, but I've never seen one in person. Thank you!"

He was smiling now, unable to escape her contagiously happy attitude.

"There's one more thing in there," Wyatt said, reaching down to the bag, which had dropped to the side amidst her enthusiasm about the umbrella.

He pulled out a pair of fuscia-framed sunglasses, waving them in front of her as she continued to twirl her new umbrella. She gasped again, padding towards Wyatt until she was practically nose-to-nose with him.

"Sunglasses!" She breathed. "I _love _them!"

Mayar leaned forward, so close they were almost touching. For a moment, Wyatt completely forgot the sunglasses still in his hand as he stared down at her. It would only take leaning forward a few inches for him to be able to kiss her. As they locked eyes, he noticed that adorable, periwinkle blush ghosting across her cheeks, and reminded himself again that she knew exactly what he was thinking about.

To Wyatt's utter astonishment, she leaned in, closing the small space dividing them as she pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

"I like you too, Wyatt." Mayar said, leaning back slightly to look at him again.

"I've liked you for a long time, even before we met in person. I've always thought you were cute and brave and caring. I know that's probably weird and awkward and creep—"

He pulled her back to him, interrupting her flustered ramblings with a kiss of his own.

"It's perfect." He said.

"You're perfect."

Smiling gently, he reached up to tuck away an errant curl into her scarf. With another touch of his lips to hers, he raised the nearly forgotten sunglasses to her eyes, still squinting lightly against the bright sun, and placed them onto her. The large sunglasses engulfed the upper half of her face, the other half still smiling charmingly up at him.

"Come on," Wyatt said, feeling more at peace than he had in a very long time as he reached out to touch her hand.

"We have a city council meeting to crash. And, er, maybe after that... I mean, if you wanted to, or something... Maybe we could go out for some fro yo?"

His expression softened as he looked hopefully back at her.

"I would absolutely love that." She beamed, periwinkle shimmering across her cheekbones. He wasn't completely sure, but he thought that he could see the faint glow of her hair, radiating out from her head and bright enough to be seen in the light of day. Joining her beneath the pink umbrella, they clasped hands as they walked together towards Seabrook.

Wyatt didn't stop grinning the entire trip into town.


	26. Chapter 26

Author's Note: Hope you are all having a wonderful week! This weeks character profile on tumblr will be about Qamar. Follow me at swarthy-warthog for more character bios, and extra details regarding this fic as well as future projects of mine. You are all wonderful! Please like, follow and review! Stay safe out there.

ZzZzZzZ

The sound of a hundred mingled voices echoed through the large, bright space. Wynter gnawed at the piece of deer jerky she had slid into her bag on her way out of the den earlier in the morning. The city of Seabrook had an active civic community, so each and every council meeting was well-attended. There were several adult wolves scattered amongst the large gathering, in a sea of humans and zombies. And, front and center, was Wynter's group.

Eliza and Willa were holding hands as they spoke animatedly about a history lesson from earlier in the week. Wyatt and a very human-looking Mayar were also holding hands, Wyatt patiently explaining different features of the room and the people in it as Mayar asked questions. Mayar had put away the umbrella (apparently humans were superstitious that it was bad luck to have an umbrella open indoors), but was still wearing her large sunglasses. Wynter smiled softly as she looked at her friends and their mates, still absent-mindedly chewing on her jerky.

She was happy for them. But maybe a little jealous, too.

Wynter wasn't much of a romantic; she was interested in her friends and her pack, and keeping them all happy and safe. Like most of the wolves her age, her parents had died waiting for the moonstone to be found. So she would gladly do whatever was necessary to keep all of the ones she loved safe. Even attend a stupid city council meeting to spy on a crazed, evil alien. As for romance... Well, maybe someday.

She glanced down at the empty chair labeled "Moon," wondering if he would flake on the meeting now that he had gotten his butt kicked by a teenage girl. Wynter snickered, swallowing the last of the jerky. Beside her, a light-haired figure in a Seabrook Power coverall sat down roughly next to her.

"Hello, wolf." Said the Lunite who Wynter recognized as Qamar.

"Hello, alien." She quipped back as she took in his apparel. "New job?"

Her goal had been to annoy him, but to her surprise, he actually stifled a laugh.

"Yes," he said, "working for the city of Seabrook; my dream career."

Qamar then nudged her jovially.

"And I'm hardly an alien, Wynter; my people have been here for centuries. I was born on this planet, you know."

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Wynter couldn't help but ask. "Last night, it seemed like you couldn't wait to get away from us."

"I know." He replied, looking only slightly chagrined. "And I give my sincerest apologies for my attitude yesterday. I am worried about what will happen to my people, once the humans realize we are here. They don't exactly have the best history when it comes to accepting new beings."

Wynter had to agree. She remembered how it had been, those first few days in Seabrook High. Though admittedly, the humans and zombies weren't exactly prejudiced against the wolves. They were just plain terrified. It had taken her some months of practice to work on her manners. Like not eating Bree's homework every day, for example. Or stealing Mighty Shrimp swag from the Aceys.

Qamar was squinting continuously, clearly uncomfortable in the brightly lit room.

Wynter reached into her bag, retrieving a mighty shrimps hoodie and a pair of aviator sunglasses. It was possible that she had stolen both items from the Aceys' bags in the cheer squad's office.

"Here," Wynter said. "You look like you're having a staring contest with the sun."

Grinning, he quickly took the pilfered items, sliding the hoodie over his head and placing the sunglasses over his eyes.

"Thanks," he said, shoulders sagging slightly in relief. "I don't know how you guys handle—"

Suddenly, Qamar's head jerked to the side, as though listening to a sound that Wynter couldn't hear.

"Come on." He said, gently but urgently grasping her wrist to pull her along with him. "Charon is close by."

Moving at a speed that made her yip in surprise, they quickly left the bleachers, sprinting out of the main room and towards a door labeled "Administration." across the large lobby. Wynter noticed Qamar pulling the hood further over his head as the sunbeams cascaded through the floor to ceiling windows. Reaching a bench situated outside of the Administration office, he quickly signaled her to remain silent with a raised finger to his lips.

Wynter nodded, trying to focus in on the muted conversation on the other side of the wall. It sounded like someone was talking on the phone.

"— At the cove. The permit for the fireworks has to be ready before Monday. Yes, absolutely."

There was a sound of papers being shuffled around of a desk.

Glancing to her side, she could see that Qamar had produced a small notepad from his pocket, and was drawing something, though his eyes never even glanced at the paper.

"Oh yes, it's going to be awe-inspiring. I've even secured the cheer team to do their routine earlier in the afternoon. Then the Seabrook Historical Society will be putting on their revised version of how Seabrook was discovered..."

That should be interesting. And probably still historically inaccurate, since Wynter was fairly certain that they would not be including the Lunites in the Seabrook origin story.

Feeling a tug at her shoulder, she looked back to Qamar, who had put his notepad away and was gesturing with a nod of his head that it was time to go. She nodded, quickly standing and striding rapidly away from the office and towards the main meeting room. Sharply turning the corner that lead back to the seating area. Qamar was following along absentmindedly, patting the pocket that held the drawing.

As they sat, Wynter noticed that Willa, Wyatt, Eliza and Mayar were looking at them expectantly. It seemed that Mayar had been speaking with Qamar during the entire interlude, because they were clearly conversing now, facial expressions shifting as they would in a spoken conversation. Mayar had reached out, and was lightly grasping her friend's hand as he relayed information to her.

"Did you hear anything?" Wynter asked him, feeling hopeful.

He smiled triumphantly.

"In fact, I think I did. But we'll discuss it later. I don't want the information in all of your heads with him so near."

That was sensible, she supposed.

Wynter noticed passingly that Zed, Addison, Bree, Bonzo and Bucky had all joined them. Zed looked decidedly nervous. Then, a loud tapping sound echoed through the room. Looking back across the empty space to where the council was sitting, she saw that Addison's mom had a small gavel in hand, calling the room to attention.

"Ahem," Mayor Missy politely cleared her throat. "This council meeting is now in session."

ZzZzZzZ

Addison watched as her mom spoke, feeling the familiar sense of frustration settling on her shoulders. While a lot had changed in her mother's attitude towards zombies and wolves in the past year, it was still a knee-jerk reaction to feel irritable whenever her mom spoke publicly. Addison was always waiting for her to say something prejudiced, though it rarely ever happened anymore. Her parents really were growing, and she was proud of them for it. She caught her dad's eye as he stood in the corner of the room, watching the foyer. He winked at her, causing her to grin and roll her eyes.

She was across the room, but could still sense his paternal love and sense of pride towards her. But there was also something else, like worry? Trepidation? Addison wondered what he was concerned about.

Zed was sitting beside her, looking and feeling tense as he glared down at Charon, who had taken a seat in the chair labeled "Mr. Moon." Charon, however, was apparently immersed in listening to Missy, who was currently discussing the new rulings involving zombie dress code. He had a small bruise visible on his chin. His eyebrows were dipped inwards, in silent disapproval at the Mayor's words, as Zed continued to stare him down. Addison could feel the tamped down anger and a fierce protectiveness coursing out of him. He really couldn't stand Charon, mainly thanks to the events of last night. It seemed as though Zed was far more angry about Addison being attacked than he was about Charon's actions against him.

There was a sudden outburst of applause, Willa, Eliza, and a few other monsters actually cheering out loud. During the last meeting, the law regarding Zombie uniforms had been relaxed. Zombies could now wear regular clothing, so long as the colors of the garments were government approved. This meeting marked the implementation of the new law going into effect. It wasn't perfect, but it was something. She and Zed joined in with the applause, momentarily distracted from their mission in order to celebrate another win for diversity.

After a moment, the applause ebbed, and another council member began discussing new developments regarding the rebuilding of the unification Gate and Zombietown.

_Daughters._

Addison and Mayar's heads both snapped forward. Addison was unnerved to see Charon staring directly at the two of them.

_Daughters, why are you spying on your father? You must realize I would never let you have the information you want._

_You_ aren't _my father._ Addison replied viciously, glaring at him from her seat a few rows above his eye level. _My father is Dale Wells._

She could feel his mild amusement at her reply, which both unnerved and angered her.

Reaching to her sister, they both took each other's hands, gripping tightly despite the sharp stings of Addison's still sore hands. In her periphery, she could see and feel that Zed had taken notice of their silent exchange with Charon.

Charon glanced over to Chief Dale, who was looking out of the window as he leaned against the thick pane of glass. For a moment, Addison assumed that he would make some kind of cruel, painful remark about her dad. But instead, a wry half-grin crossed his face.

_Leave me alone, stupid girls, and let me do my work. This is my last warning. _The grin faded to nothing. _If you continue to pry, it will not be tolerated. I do not wish to kill you, but I will do what must be done to complete my mission._

Abruptly, Charon stood up from his chair, a charming and warm-looking smile now sliding onto his face.

"Hello everyone. Just a quick reminder to all of you that the Shore Day Festival will be this Friday. There will be fun games, delicious food, and even a performance from Seabrook High's talented cheer squad!"

There was an enthusiastic spattering of applause from the crowd. "And, once the sun sets, there will be an amazing fireworks display, courtesy of the City of Seabrook, which I'm sure we will all remember for years to come!"

Another small scattered round of applause as Charon chuckled. "On behalf of this fine city, we all hope to see you there. Of course, all citizens are welcome at this event, including our wonderful zombie and werewolf neighbors."

Charon flashed the charming, dazzling smile again before once again taking his seat with a friendly wave of his hand.

In Addison's head, she suddenly saw a vision of a moonstone, suspended by thick ropes and swaying in a dark room. It was only the tiniest of flashes, tucked back into his head almost as soon as it seeped out. She pretended not to have noticed, and glanced around as she realized that the meeting had ended while she was considering what she had just seen. People around her and her group were standing, making small talk and shaking hands. When she glanced back to Charon's seat, he was gone.

Darn it.

Addison looked to Mayar. _Did you see that?_

_Yes, _Mayar replied. _But it was too fast. I couldn't tell where it was, other than in some kind of dark room._

Qamar leaned across from Wynter and waved a tiny notebook towards them to grab their attention.

_Did it look like this? _He asked.

As he held up the notebook, Addison could see that he had drawn an exact replica of the vision she had just caught from Charon's brain. A moonstone, suspended by ropes in a darkened room. The parts of the room she could see from the stone's glow looked decrepit and covered in cobwebs. Around them, her group of friends studied the small drawing. Despite not hearing the first half of the conversation, the non-Lunites in the group seemed to have quickly caught up to the topic at hand.

"It almost looks like the old power plant." Eliza observed, her large eyes looking unsure. "But that can't be, obviously."

Addison and the others were all quiet for a moment as they pondered this new puzzle, while other attendees of the meeting scattered around them and moved to exit the building.

Suddenly, Willa spoke up.

"Well, we know it's not the power plant, but..." She looked pensive as she considered her words. "Are there any other old, abandoned buildings in the area? If we could figure that out, we'd at least have a place to start looking."

Eliza shot her girlfriend and the rest of the group a wry smile as she gingerly tapped her laptop, the corner of it sticking out of her bag. "I don't know, but I bet I can find out."

Addison smiled, feeling slightly elated at she squeezed the hands of both her sister and Zed.

Finally, they had a lead.

Things were looking up.


	27. Chapter 27

Author's note: What? Another chapter already? Thank my severe insomnia, because I had to get this scene out of my head before I could finally sleep. In this chapter, we finally learn what Zed has been planning. So much Zeddison fluff, ahead!

I will correct any typos later this morning, after I hopefully get some rest. Please follow, like, and review!

ZzZzZzZ

Addison smoothed out the hem of her dress as she looked at the mirror. She was wearing a light denim dress, with three-quarter sleeves and a light brown leather belt at the waist. Thanks to the large side pockets (a huge bonus for any girl's dress attire) she didn't even need to bring her purse. She had put on a pair of well-worn flats, since she was planning on walking barefoot once she got to the beach. An hour ago, Zed had sent her a text, asking her to meet him at the beach that evening for a walk along the shoreline. She was ecstatic, because between the fire in Zombietown and the ongoing moonstone dilemma, it had been almost two weeks since their last date.

It was Sunday afternoon, the day after the City Council meeting. Eliza and Willa were compiling a list of the buildings they thought were most likely to match the one they had seen in Charon's mind. Bree had promised to talk to her mom, who worked at the Clerk's office in city hall and had access to all of the building records in Seabrook. And as for the Lunites, Mayar, Qamar and Aruna had promised to explore the tunnels, in order to see if any of the places they scouted from underground could be a possible match.

All of that led to Addison, Zed and several of their friends sitting and waiting, until they had a place to start searching. Whatever Charon had planned, they would hopefully be able to thwart it all by simply finding and securing the moonstone before he ever got the chance to use it. They may not have found out what he hoped to do at the meeting, but with any luck it wouldn't matter.

Addison was optimistic. It wasn't much, but having some kind of clue to guide them made it seem like their odds of defeating Charon were so much higher. She believed in her friends. Most of the time, she believed in herself, too. If they tried hard and put their minds to it, there was basically nothing that they couldn't achieve, in her mind.

She smiled at the reflection in her bedroom mirror as she strode out of the room, noting the slight shimmer of her hair as she walked. Swiftly descending the stairs, she stopped as she walked past the living room, where her mom and dad were watching a sitcom together on the couch. She grabbed the car keys and deposited them into her pocket.

"I'm going to go meet Zed at the beach for a walk, guys. I'll be home in a bit."

Both of them looked up at her. For a second, she could feel the strange combination of love and concern sweeping over her. These were emotions that she was now learning were very constant in parenthood, at least in the case of her mom and dad. But this time, there seemed to be something different in the feeling. More depth and sincerity. Her mom was looking at her like she wasn't going to see her again for a year, and her dad felt a twist of worry in his gut that actually made Addison wince.

Addison paused, hand frozen in the act of reaching for the door.

"Um... Everything okay, guys?" She asked.

"Oh, honey, everything is fine. You just... You just look so grown up right now." Her mom said, gifting Addison with a smile that was both sad and proud. "Sometimes your dad and I forget that you aren't a little girl anymore."

Chief Dale put a hand over his wife's on the couch, patting it gently.

After another short pause, Addison crossed the room, and gave each of them a quick kiss on the cheek. "Well," She replied, "I may not be a little girl anymore, but I'll always be your daughter!"

Addison smiled at them. They were acting so melancholic, she wanted to cheer them up, somehow.

"Go have fun with Zed." Her dad said, waving her away with his free hand. "Call us if you need anything or if you're going to be out late."

"Will do, sir." Addison grinned, giving her dad a mock salute as she turned to head for the door.

Parents were so weird, sometimes.

ZzZzZzZ

When Addison reached the beach about twenty minutes later, she was surprised to see Zed, standing with his feet in the waves and his hands stuffed into his pockets, watching the sun as it dipped lower, closer to the line where sky met water. She took of her shoes near the sidewalk, setting them quietly along a small dune of sand as she tiptoed towards him. He seemed so distracted, and his brain a tangled, agitated mess as she approached him from behind. She was pretty sure he didn't even hear her coming, which was surprising, since she knew for a fact his hearing was stronger than a human's.

But when she was about to pounce, he surprised her by twisting his head over his good shoulder and gracing her with one of his fantastic smiles.

"Nice try, Ads." He said, a half-chuckle escaping him as he looked down at her with those big, dark eyes. "But I heard you coming a mile away."

"Sure you did, zandgrome (handsome)," She replied with a wink.

Despite his jovial words, she could feel stress emanating off of him so much that she had to push up her own shaky barrier inside her mind to block some of it out.

"Are you okay? You seem... Stressed." She looked up at him, feeling her own concern etching itself across her face.

Taking a deep breath, his thoughts seemed to settle. His agitation suddenly stilled as he locked eyes with her, and she felt an overwhelming sense of peace flowing from his heart and into her.

"I've never been better." Zed stated confidently. "Come here, I want to show you something."

He stepped towards her, removing his bare feet from the waves to stand in front of her, partially blocking the view of the ocean behind him. Zed reached out, taking her hands in his. Addison looked up at him, expectant but slightly confused.

"What do you want to show me?"

"Well, I... Um, this is kind of difficult to explain, but... I wanted to find a way to show you how much you mean to me, Addy." His expression softened, one hand reaching out briefly to touch her cheek before returning to grasp her hands in his once again. "I thought about it a lot, last night and this morning, and I think I've finally figured out how to do it. But you need to close your eyes."

She giggled lightly. "Close my eyes? What for?"

"Just... You trust me, right?" He asked, eyebrows raising in question, though his light grin told her he already knew the answer.

"You know I do."

"Then close your eyes." He winked.

Addison sighed, allowing her eyes to slide shut as she waited.

For a moment, she could only hear the sound of the endlessly crashing waves and the cries of seagulls flying over nearby.

Then, her head filled with light and color, as Zed began to show her a memory.

_It was his first day at Seabrook High, the day zombies had been integrated. Zed was standing on the zombie's side of the fence, Bonzo and Eliza at his side as he watched the humans entering the building through the other door. He'd never been close to so many of them at once. As his hands gripped the cool chain link fencing, he saw a flash of gold. The figure of a petite female human in a sky blue dress passed by on the opposite side, pausing and glancing up at him as she went._

_Me. _Addison realized. _That's me. _She didn't remember it, but it seemed that this was the first time he had ever seen her. Not in the zombie safe room, as she had always assumed.

_It wasn't the golden hair that had caught his attention, however. The girl's eyes were a dazzling, bright blue. He'd never seen the ocean at the time, but her eyes were precisely the color that he imagined the sea would be. Zed felt his mouth gaping open slightly as he watched her. After half a second, her eyes turned from his, hair twirling in neat waves as she walked away from him. He'd never seen anyone so beautiful in his life. He had no idea who she was. But even then, after only one short second of eye contact, a spark had ignited in him. He _needed _to meet this girl, somehow._

Then, the vision changed.

_He was in a darkened room, the dull ring of z-alarms muted by the quietness of the zombie safe room's extra thick walls. He had ducked in and was hiding behind a series of metal shelves filled with provisions and survival manuals. The safe room door opened, the scream of the alarm system briefly amplified as a small human figure quickly tiptoed into the quiet space. Panicking, Zed attempted to hide himself behind a stack of boxes, but only succeeded in nearly knocking them over._

_"Hello?" A soft, hesitant voice rang into the echoing room._

_He paused in the act of holding up the boxes, unsure if he should answer._

_"Hello?" He said, his own voice equally full of hesitation. He stretched forward, attempting to see past the shelves of emergency supplies to the figure standing near the entrance._

_"Hello?" The voice, definitely female, responded, steadier and clearer this time._

_Wait a minute. Zed felt his eyes widen. It was the girl! The one with eyes like the ocean, who he'd seen outside the school earlier. He straightened up, placing a slight swagger into his step._

_"Why, hello!" He replied, trying to sound flirtatious and confident, and not like he was currently hiding from a mob of humans._

_"Don't get any ideas, buster. The only thing deadlier than my high kick is my low kick." She sounded mad. Oops._

_"I'm sorry," Zed said, feeling a blush he hoped wouldn't be visible in the dimly lit room. "this just isn't how I was expecting my first day at a new school to go."_

_"You weren't expecting to be trapped in a zombie safe room?" She quipped back._

_ She was beautiful_ and _funny. His blush deepened and his slow heart picked up in pace as he attempted to maintain a carefree, conversational tone._

_"Oh, no." He replied with a smile, "That I expected. That happens to be all the time, it's sorta my thing."_

_The girl laughed, and it was the prettiest thing he'd ever heard._

The conversation continued as it faded out, replaced by a series of other tiny moments they had spent together through the years. Meeting up in the safe room, before it was acceptable for them to be seen in public. The look of surprise and happiness on his face when her confetti bomb had gone off as he opened his locker. Her white hair, waving in the light wind on the football field, the day she'd finally taken off her wig. The way his pulse picked up when he'd asked her to Prawn, and when he'd seen her at the dance in her glittering blue gown. There were memories of cuddling in her bed after he'd snuck into her room, watching her play with his sister and Puppy, and hearing her laugh at all of his ridiculous jokes.

Then, there were the most recent memories.

_He had taken off his z-band, and as he felt the strength coursing through his veins, he had picked up Bonzo. In full zombie form, he barely noticed the pain of the burns and bruises. Looking left to right, his hazy brain searched for an exit, but saw only a window leading to fresh air and safety. With a roar, he took a running leap and crashed through the window. He was flying then, or maybe falling, it was hard to say. The next thing he knew, he was looking up at sea-blue eyes, the faint orange glow of fire reflecting off of them as his mate looked back at her. His head was in her lap, and those eyes looked like the ocean at sunset. His heart skipped a beat as he smiled up at her, before his eyes closed. _

Then, finally, another vision of Addison, sitting next to him in the safe room a few days ago, her hair glowing like a halo of fireflies in the dim space.

_He loved her more than life itself._

"Addison," She heard Zed say softly, her eyes still closed. "I love you so, so much. You are the most important part of my life. You're my someday. You're my always. I can't picture my life without you, and I'd do anything, everything, to keep you safe and happy. I know were young, but I could live a hundred years, and there would only ever be one person for me."

Addison sniffled, feeling soft tears rolling down her face as the breeze cooled them. She hadn't realized that she was crying. She was overwhelmed with his love for her.

"Addy, open your eyes."

She did, and for a second, she was confused. She couldn't see Zed, she only saw the brilliant oranges, pinks and purple-blues of the sun setting over the water. Then, she looked down.

Zed was kneeling on one knee, and in his hand was a beautiful ring that sparkled in the fading light.

"Addison Rose Wells. Starlight. Will you marry me?"


	28. Chapter 28

Author's note: Hey everyone!

Sorry it has been so long since I have been able to update. I have PTSD, and the last several days have been rough. But I finally forced myself to sit down and write, and lo and behold, it actually cheered me up a little. Thanks for reading, as always, your likes and reviews bring me so much joy!

Also, if anyone wants to see what Addison's ring looks like, I'll be posting a pic on my tumblr!

Love y'all!

ZzZzZzZ

He was holding his breath as he kneeled in the damp sand, eyes locked with Addison's as he held up the ring between them. Zed could feel the tension mounting in his chest as the time moved along. Thinking back on it, he was sure it was only a few seconds, but in that moment it felt like an eternity.

Addison was staring back at him, as the breeze coming inward from the ocean dried the tear tracks that had been sliding down her cheeks. Her mouth was slightly agape, as though she was in shock.

As her silence mounted, he felt an unanticipated sense of peacefulness.

Zed had expected to feel scared or extremely nervous. But somehow, looking up at her, he couldn't find it in himself to be afraid. How could he be, with his soulmate and best friend standing before him. Her cerulean eyes reflected a pink-and orange sunset, reminding him of how the fire light had flickered in her eyes the night the moonstone had crashed into Zombietown.

"Zed—" she gasped, flicking her eyes down to the ring.

The aquamarine stone glittered against the fading sunlight, as the four tiny diamonds that surrounded it flickered like small stars.

"Addy," he started, as he gradually realized that the instant 'yes' he had been hoping for was not going to come. "I know that we're really young, and I know it might be crazy. But when a person is lucky enough to find _the one_, it would be even crazier _not _to propose. You are my mate and the love of my life."

Zed gently squeezed her hand as he continued.

"My dad said that my mom was the love of his life. And he said the only thing he would have done different, if he ever had the opportunity, would be to ask her to be his wife sooner. Two lifetimes wouldn't be enough with you, Addy, but I want every second I can get. I swear that I will be the best husband —"

"Yes."

"—that I can possibly — wait. What?"

"Yes," Addison exhaled, releasing a joyous laugh. "Yes, of course I'll marry you!"

"You'll..." Zed blinked, not quite processing what he was hearing. "You will?"

For a second, he thought he might have misheard. Had she seriously just agreed to be his wife?

"Yes!" She laughed again, actually jumping up and down with un-contained glee as she too fell to her knees. She leaned in, gifting him with a passionate kiss as his arms instinctively wrapped themselves around her.

For a moment, all he could focus on was her; her taste and smell, and the feel of her lips pressing heatedly against his own. She was his whole universe. And someday, she would be his wife. His wife! He could barely contain the happiness pulsing through his veins. This was, without a doubt, the best moment of his life.

"Mine, too." She whispered, pulling away only slightly to rest her cheek against his.

He laughed, the sound full of jubilation and delight, as he attempted to card his hands into her long, snowy hair. He suddenly remembered the ring, still firmly held in his hand.

"Oh!" He chuckled, feeling so elated that he felt he might take flight at any second.

He withdrew his injured arm, the one holding the ring. Shakily lifting his arm towards her, he once again held the ring up for her inspection. He couldn't help but preen a little as she gasped at the small but beautiful token of his love. He had spent weeks deciding which one to get her. In the end, the aquamarine oval and diamond ring with the rose gold band had won out. He hadn't known why, but the almost otherworldly looking design had just screamed "Addison!" to him.

Hands still trembling slightly, he gently slid the ring onto her left ring finger, smiling as he realized that it fit perfectly. He watched as she examined it. Addison squealed delightedly as she shifted her hand side to side in the fading light, as the crest of the sun disappeared below the water.

"It's perfect!" She said, once again leaning in to kiss him again. But then she instantly pulled back, looking suddenly nervous. "But Zed, my parents are going to freak. My dad's going to cart you off to containment himself!" Her face flushed with anxiety.

"Actually..." Zed started. "They kinda already know."

"They what?"

Thinking back to the conversation, Zed mentally filled her in on the surprisingly cordial conversation he'd had with her parents over the phone. They had been reluctant, but had conversed with him in an understanding tone that he would never have predicted.

_"I'm not happy about the whole idea of my daughter being engaged to a zombie, Zed. Especially when she's just turned seventeen. But..." Chief Dale sighed."I _do_ understand it. Once I fell for Missy I could hardly wait to propose to her." _

_Zed had heard a small "Aww," from the mayor in the background._

_"But Zed," Chief Dale continued, "I'm counting on you to make sure my little girl is always safe and happy. If you don't, well..." The Chief trailed off in a mildly intimidating tone._

_"I will, sir." Zed swore fervently. "Always."_

Addison grinned as she listened, releasing a short laugh as she heard the threatening sound of her dad's voice.

"I can't believe you called them." She stated, moving into a sitting position as she leaned her head against his good shoulder.

"Well, I didn't want the stress of telling them to fall on you, in case you said yes."

"You didn't think I would?" She questioned, looking surprised as she felt the doubt he had felt in the pit of his stomach as he'd walked to the beach that evening.

"I was just... I didn't want to get my hopes up to high. I mean, look at you." He gently pressed his lips to her forehead. "You're perfect."

"I don't know about that," she replied, "But we're perfect together."

"Our life is going to be amazing together, Addy." Zed stated, as thought it were an irrefutable fact. "I can just feel it."

"Me too." She smiled back, snuggling into him as the wet sand soaked into her dress. Her phone chirped merrily, and he watched as she reached into her pocket to check who had messaged her. She stiffened slighty as she read the message.

"Hey," she said, "Bree just messaged me. She says we all need to meet at the all-night coffee shop in Zombietown. She says they found something."

Zed looked down at her, mildly surprised but apparently unable to shake the pure joy pulsing through him. She'd said yes! He couldn't wait to tell Eliza and Bonzo.

"Come on," he said, standing with slight difficulty, as he couldn't put weight on both arms. "We'd better get over there."

Reaching down, he pulled her to her feet, both of them giggling as they attempted to brush the sand and salt from their clothes.

"Let's go, we'll dry off while we walk." He said, grabbing her hand as he rubbed his thumb against the stone that now rested there.

His. She was his. Always.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I am."

ZzZzZzZ

The Seabrook County archive room was huge, and smelled of dust and old paper. Bree placed a very heavy book on top of the already taller-than-her stack she had compiled on the creaky wooden table. A plume of dust billowed down and into her face, causing her to go into her third sneezing episode in the last two hours.

"Breeska?" She heard Bonzo call from several rows away, where he was grabbing up another stack of books to add to the pile. Her mom had given her the key to the archive room at city hall, so of course he had insisted on coming along so that she wouldn't be alone. Willa and Eliza were planning on meeting up with them later at ZomBrewz, the all-night coffee shop in Zombietown. Bree and Bonzo would bring the records with the oldest buildings in the county, and Eliza would cross-check the most likely locations on her computer to help compile a list.

Unfortunately, all of the files in this building were alphabetized, rather than being organized by date. So rather than a more straightforward search, they were having to go letter by letter, date by date. Though to be honest, dust aside, she was having fun looking at all of the old records with Bonzo. They had come across some interesting bits of Seabrook history, including an old grocery store his family had owned prior to the zombie outbreak. The Graves' Grocery had been a successful family business at one time. Unfortunately for Bonzo's grandparents, and his then-teenage mother, they had been eating lunch on the West side of town when the explosion occurred.

Twenty-five years later, when the z-bands were created, the grocery store had long since been sold and demolished. These decisions had been made by distant relatives who had inherited the property. As it turned out, this had been the fate of all businesses and property owned by those who had become zombies. Everyone on that side of the barrier had been declared "legally dead" only a few years after the outbreak. Most of them, now that they had finally been afforded some level of equality, would still never see any kind of profit from their formerly owned properties, including the Graves family. Bree had been completely shocked by this, but Bonzo had simply shrugged his shoulder.

"No point being sad," he'd said in accented English. "I have everything I need."

He leaned down, pressing a kiss to her dusty and probably sweaty forehead as she blushed.

She smiled up at him with pride. Unbeknownst to most of their friends, she had actually been tutoring Bonzo in English for the past six months. He had always been able to understand it, but lacked the confidence to ever try to speak it in the presence of other people. And while he was still far too shy to attempt speaking it in front of anyone, he had been making excellent strides in his language capabilities. Bree had always said that he had an ear for languages, and she still firmly believed it.

Bree had giggled as she grabbed his collar, pulling him down for a quick kiss as they both continued to smile.

Now, she continued to sneeze as she watched Bonzo turn a corner, another large stack on books in his arms.

"Breeska, za grebska oz?" (_Bree, are you okay?_)

"Gar oz," (_I'm fine,_) she replied. "All of this dust is just killing my allergies."

"Then it's good we're almost done." He replied, gently placing a large, faded green book labeled "Z."

Bree sighed in relief. If she stayed in this dusty room much longer, she'd only be able to communicate through sneezes.

She eagerly scooped up the book, as well as the notepad she had brought along to write down potential building names and addresses. There weren't a lot of entries in this book, and it ranged from between 1965 – 1995. This was, coincidentally, about the same time frame between the initial outbreak and the eventual invention of the z-band. Bree was pretty rusty when it came to Zombie history, as it hadn't been taught in schools until this semester, but she was pretty sure that z-bands had been first distributed amongst zombies in 1993.

As Bonzo began picking up the books she had finished to return to the shelf, Bree flipped tiredly through the yellowed pages. Most of these buildings had been marked as demolished, or were currently completely different active businesses. She glanced again at the copy of Qamar's drawing she had brought with her.

The building she was looking for would be old, and probably out of use for many years. The room in the drawing looked extremely dirty, with wooden floors and an abundance of dust, mold and who knew what else. Behind the moonstone, which was hoisted into the air with multiple ropes, were a series of what looked like large cages made with chain link fencing. Maybe it was an old animal shelter or something?

As she reached the last entry, ,she stopped. Bree leaned in close to the page, curiously examining the few words recorded there. The building on this page did not have a business license number listed, as all the others had. It simply had "Building Z" at the top of the page, stamped into the paper by an old typewriter decades before. She continued reading, her eyes gradually widening as she took in the information written there.

"Hey, Bonzo..." She drawled, trying to keep the volume of her voice steady but insistent as she attempted to get his attention.

"Jah, Breeska?" He called back as she heard the soft thunk of books being laid across a shelf.

"Come here for a second, please?"

There were additional thudding noises as more books were hastily put into place on shelves, followed by the quick padding of large feet on the old, carpeted floor. Bree watched, unable to stop the grin from sliding onto her face as he once again rounded the corner and bounded towards her with a face partially obscured with shaggy bangs.

"Za oz?" He asked, panting lightly. He jerked his head back, attempting to flip the offending hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah," Bree said, brows dipping down again as she glanced back to the entry on the page.

"It's just..." She paused. "Did you know that the Seabrook Power had a second facility on the other side of Zombietown?"


	29. Chapter 29

Author's note: Sorry again for the slow updates. This crazy year needs to calm down so I can actually write for more than five minutes at a time! Please like, follow and review! Y'all are amazing; please take care of yourselves out there.

Fun fact: I used to live in a funeral home, thus my inspiration for Zombrewz. Enjoy!

ZzZzZzZ

Eliza absent-mindedly rubbed her thumb along the slightly calloused knuckles of her girlfriend's hand. Willa's hands weren't rough by any means, but they were the hands of someone who spent a large amount of time outdoors. Which, of course, she did. Willa's claws lightly caressed her back as she moved in closer to rest her head against the top of Eliza's. Eliza, Willa, Wynter and Wyatt were all standing in a row, staring pensively up at the ZomBrewz's menu.

ZomBrewz was a new and hip all-night coffee shop, where many Seabrook High students came to study or hang out. It was built out of what had once been an old funeral parlor. The building was a large, Victorian style house, with all of the original rooms on the ground floor renovated into one large, open space. Other than the old stained glass windows, which all depicted doves flying upward into the heavens, nothing about the space indicated that it had ever been used to house the dead. Plush couches and comfy chairs littered the large space, and bright canvases displayed the works of several local artists. In the corner, a female zombie with a shaved head and oversized maroon sweatshirt was quietly strumming a guitar.

"What's a cappuccino?" Willa asked, with another tilt of her head. It was the wolves' first time in a coffee shop.

"And a..." Willa paused. "Macchia-toe? Does it actually have toes in it?" She looked down at Eliza, questioningly.

"Coffee has toes in it?" Wyatt yelped, looking at the two females standing in front of him. He sniffed the air around him in suspicion.

"I mean, I'll give it a try." Wynter commented doubtfully. "But I don't know how they keep it from smelling like feet."

Eliza stared at the three wolves, completely at a loss for words.

"Um," She sighed as she suppressed a grin. "why don't you guys just let me handle the coffee order? You can go find a place for everyone to sit. Bree said Bonzo, Zed and Addison were meeting us too. And Mayar, Qamar and Aruna, right Wyatt?"

He nodded.

Eliza bobbed her head across the large but cozy space. "I think there's a few couches over next to the fireplace."

Since ZomBrewz was a zombie establishment, of course, there was no actual fire. Instead, there was a large electric heater in the old fireplace hearth. It flickered pleasantly, with artificial flames that danced along a glass screen.

It had actually cooled off quite a bit in the last hour or so, and the fake fire was crackling merrily. Fall finally seemed to be beginning to make it's appearance, as a cooling breeze wafted in from the sea and gently chilled the occupants of Seabrook. Outside, she could make out the beginnings of color at the tips of leaves on the trees surrounding the coffee shop.

Eliza watched as her friends made their way over to the grouping of couches, stifling a laugh as she watched Wynter actually turn in place three times before collapsing into a plush maroon couch.

"Four cappuccinos, please, with an extra shot of espresso each."

Since the wolves had never had coffee of any kind before, she decided to let them try her personal favorite. Eliza could be, admittedly, a bit of a caffeine addict.

The zombie behind the counter nodded their head as they punched in the order, accepting the wad of bills Eliza offered to them with a grin. They had messy, chin-length green hair, which was mostly obscured by a maroon beanie and grey infinity scarf. They also had a small nose ring, which encircled their nostril in a small gold hoop.

Was hipster zombie a fashion type now? Whatever the case, Eliza was thrilled to see that zombies were already beginning to express themselves more through fashion, now that the zombie dress requirements had been relaxed.

While she waited for the cappuccinos, she fondly watched as Willa bounced lightly on the maroon couch next to Wynter, discussing some amusing topic with her two packmates as they all chuckled together. It had been rough, the first few months, helping the wolves to fit in. They had spent a lifetime always on edge, always ready to defend their kind, and it wasn't easy to help them adjust to a more normal, less stressful lifestyle. It wasn't exactly something Eliza was great with, herself. She was always looking for the next injustice to fight, or finding the next book to read in between organizing protests and printing out "monster rights" pamphlets at the library.

"Four cappuccinos with extra shots of espresso, for Eliza?"

Looking back to the counter, the hipster zombie offered her a pleasant smile, which she happily returned. Things were going well for Zombiekind at the moment, despite recent setbacks, and the optimism was palpable amongst nearly every zombie in the shop.

Eliza reached across the counter, scooping the tray up and turning to face the fireplace. As she carefully made her way past the tables fellow patrons, she glanced over to see Addison and Zed striding into the coffee shop, smiling so widely it looked like they'd just won the lottery. They also seemed to be covered in sand and wearing partially dried clothes. Confusedly, Eliza met their eyes and jerked her head towards the fireplace, indicating where they should sit after getting their drinks.

Behind them, a very dusty duo followed their path into the entryway. Bree and Bonzo had arrived, covered in dust bunnies as Bonzo clutched a large book to his chest.

_I have the weirdest friends. _Eliza noted inwardly, and turned to join the wolves at the well-used seating area.

"Three double shot cappuccinos, coming up!" Eliza announced, setting the tray down on the large coffee table that rested in the center of the three couches and the fireplace. Rather than the standard leaf or heart designs, these cappuccinos each had a small, creepy hand rising up from the corner of each cup, all looking like little zombie arms bursting forth from the ground. The old her would have said that it was insensitive. But now, she had to admit it was pretty clever. Lots of zombie businesses were really leaning into the 'creepy' stereotypes lately, in order to cater to the monster-oriented tourism industry that had sprung up seemingly overnight in Zombietown.

The wolves each picked up their large mugs, sniffing curiously at the liquid within.

"This isn't the one with toes in it, right?" Wynter asked.

"Nope. No toes were used in the making of this coffee." Eliza assured her with a chuckle.

Laughing, she watched as the wolves each raised their cup to their mouths, and took a hesitant sip.

"Oh my gosh, babe!" Willa gasped, taking another long draw from her drink. "This is amazing!"

Eliza watched as the wolves began to drink with fervor, blinking in surprise as each tipped back their cups.

"Hey, take it easy guys," Eliza chuckled. "That's a lot of caffeine."

"Never heard of it." Wynter shrugged. She took another large gulp.

The bell over the door chimed again, and Mayar, Qamar and Aruna walked in, arms linked together. Unlike at the city council meeting, this time all three were wearing their traditional Lunite attire, with large hooded shirts, harem pants, and bare feet. As they entered, several zombies, humans and wolves turned to stare at them. Conversations were momentarily quieted. The zombie who had been playing guitar in the corner didn't stop playing, but she did strum a few halted, sour notes in the midst of the tune.

Apparently the Lunites had decided they were done keeping a low profile. Good for them. Eliza wasn't sure exactly how or when the Lunites were planning to announce themselves to the people of Seabrook. But making a public appearance like this was probably an indicator that it would be happening sooner rather than later.

She leaned back into the couch beside Willa, as most of the patrons of ZomBrewz returned to their studying or discussions. While Addison, Zed, Bree and Bonzo had walked to the counter to order coffee, the Lunites instantly made their way over to the cozy set of couches Eliza and the wolves had claimed.

Eliza watched as Mayar took a seat next to Wyatt, leaning in to offer him a quick peck on the cheek. A light blue dusted across her cheeks as she did so. Qamar and Aruna offered greeting to the group, as they took their seats in the couch across from them. She was just about to ask if anyone knew what Bree wanted to tell them, when Addison, Zed, Bree and Bonzo walked over with cappuccino mugs of their own.

Except for Zed, who always got a vanilla latte. Extra vanilla. Eliza rolled her eyes.

"Hey guys!" Bree chirped sweetly, though there was a small crease between her eyebrows that was normally absent. They all took their seats as well, completing the circle of friends. As they sipped their coffees, everyone seemed to look to Bree and Bonzo, who looked like they were ready to burst with new information. They all leaned in expectantly, waiting for Bree or Bonzo to speak.

"Well" Willa said. "What's the buzz?"

ZzZzZzZ

"Well, what's the buzz?" Willa asked, persistently tapping the edge of her mug with one blue and glitter-polished claw. Addison watched as Bonzo silently handed a old, large tome to Bree, who smiled as she hefted the book into her lap. It looked faded and dusty, and had a giant letter "Z" printed on the front of it.

"Um," Bree started, flipping rapidly through the pages as she spoke. "Well, we found a few abandoned buildings that sound like they could be good places to look. But then, we came across this."

She turned to the last filled-in page, flipping the book and resting it upon the worn coffee table. It was simply titled "Building Z," and an address on Zodiac Road was written beneath it in neat, handwritten cursive.

"First off, did anyone know that Seabrook Power had a second location?"

There was a moment of surprised silence, where the only sound was the scraping of Wynter's foot, as she repeatedly padded it against the rug beneath the couch on which she sat. The wolves all looked decidedly hyperactive, all fidgeting or moving in some way as they continued to sip their coffees. Everyone met one another's eyes, shock evident on every face at this newest revelation.

"Obviously, it didn't have a moonstone or anything there. Building Z was used for administrative purposes prior to the Zombie outbreak." Bree continued, scrolling her finger along as she read the faded print. "Then, in 1968, the explosion happened. Like everything else in Zombietown, Seabrook Power Administration was closed. Or at least it should have been."

Bree turned to the back of the page, tapping at a list of crudely scrawled notes and what looked like a series of lists, which looked like they contained a few hundred names. "The notes don't really make a lot of sense, but from 1988 until 1993, the building was _definitely_ being used."

"What for?" Wynter asked, scanning the hard to decipher notes.

"It doesn't actually say. The notes just say 'testing.' Then there's these lists of names, with several dozen printed under each year."

Testing. That sounded ominous.

Addison suddenly felt a jolt of shock from Zed, who instantly pointed down towards down of the lists, resting his finger next to a name.

_Zedekiah Zion._

"That's... That's my uncle's name." He said, voice uncharacteristically quiet. "'Zion' was my mom's maiden name. Her older brother was Zedekiah; that's who she named me after." Zed paused. "Uncle Zedekiah didn't survive the dark years. He was already gone before the z-bands were ever invented."

_Or did he? _Zed thought haltingly, as Addison squeezed his free hand.

"What does all of this mean?" Asked Wyatt, fidgeting restlessly.

"I don't know." Bree said, "But regardless, something tells me that we should look for the moonstone here. It was a part of Seabrook Power, so maybe Charon would think it was a good place to hide the stone. As for the other mysterious stuff, maybe we can learn more when we get to the building."

Addison looked glanced around the group, turning to face the Lunites.

_Did you guys know anything about this? _She asked.

"No," said Mayar. "That section of Zombietown hasn't got any tunnels. That land is too close to the water, so any tunnels dug there would just flood."

"I have no idea what's there," Aruna added, looking worried yet fascinated. "But I can't wait to find out."

The rest of the group were emanating different variations on the same emotions, filling Addison with mild anxiety. The wolves seemed particularly restless, their emotions jumbled and jittery.

Maybe giving them caffeine wasn't the best idea.

"It's too late to try and figure this out tonight," Eliza said, glancing out of the window into the now fully-dark street. "I say we meet back tomorrow at the barrier after school. This address is right along the wall. It won't take long to walk there."

"That's still during the daytime," Qamar interjected, looking worried. "We can't be out in the sunlight too much, or we'll get sick. Mayar and I already spent too long in the light yesterday."

Now that Addison took a moment to look at Qamar and her sister, she noticed that they did, in fact, look a little ill. There were light blue circles under their eyes, and their skin looked less pale pink, and more greyish in color. Some of the shine in Mayar's curls even seemed to have faded slightly. That wasn't good.

"We can help with that!" Willa said excitedly, drawing the attention of the collective group.

"There is a chest filled with charged moonstone necklaces back in the den." Willa's expression saddened slightly. "We... Back before we recovered the moonstone, we lost a lot of wolves, as their necklaces gradually lost their charges. But we kept the necklaces. After getting the stone back, all of them were re-charged. Now, there are more necklaces than there are werewolves. We'd be glad to give you a few of them to use when you have to go outside."

Mayar, Qamar and Aruna looked touched, and Addison could feel their genuine surprise and gratitude.

"Thank you, Willa." Mayar said, sincerity flowing from here as her hair glowed faintly. "That would be amazing! I'd love to go outside during the day without feeling exhausted the next day." She reached over to grasp Wyatt's hand, smiling tiredly at him. "Plus, I'd get more time with Wyatt and the rest of you!"

"Thank you, packleader." Qamar said in a more somber tone. "Your gift is greatly appreciated."

Since Addison had an after-school cheer practice scheduled, it was decided that they all meet at the barrier about two hours after school. That would give them plenty of daylight, and that way she could bring Bucky along as well. Despite the mystery of Building Z, Addison was cautiously optimistic.

"Alright everyone," Addison announced to the assembled group. "Rest up tonight, because tomorrow, we're getting that moonstone!"

They all agreed jovially, raising their cups in agreement.

Addison thought about telling her friends about her engagement. She had been keeping the ring mostly hidden from sight, waiting for the right moment to bring it up. But looking at Zed, they silently agreed that perhaps now was not the right time. For now, she wanted to keep that bit of happiness between just her and Zed. They would share the good news with their friends once the moonstone was secured.

Which, hopefully, would be tomorrow.


	30. Chapter 30

"Sloppy!" Bucky shouted as he blew the whistle, watching as the squad went through their routine for the seventh time in a row.

"That broken T was atrocious, Anthony! And Zita, clean up that low V before moving into the back handspring." He lowered his megaphone, demonstrating the proper position to her as she and the rest of the squad panted from the exertion of the repeated drills. Zita nodded back determinedly, as she mimicked the gesture while remaining in her position. Jacey appeared at Bucky's side, silently handing Bucky his sports drink and patting at his forehead with a clean towel.

"Hold up," Addison announced in a much less angry tone, still refusing to use the personalized megaphone that he had ordered for her. She said the megaphone was too aggressive, though Bucky disagreed. It had robin's egg blue lettering, for crying out loud. One of the least aggressive colors around.

He rolled his eyes as she spoke to the group in a firm but friendly voice.

"Let's take five minutes, everyone." she continued. "You're doing great! Stretch out and drink some water. Then we'll take it from the top."

There was a collective groan of relief from the group as they all relaxed from their stance, wiping sweat from foreheads or shaking out sore limbs. The squad scattered, walking towards the bleachers to sit, or grabbing their water bottles to thirstily gulp from them.

Bucky watched as Addison smiled broadly before turning to walk towards him. Despite the grueling practice, she seemed to have an extra bounce in each step today. Actually, now that he thought about it, she had been smiling pretty much constantly the entire practice. It didn't make sense to him for her to be so cheerful, especially when he considered the fact that they were currently in a secret battle with an evil alien. And, more importantly, the fact that they needed to be perfect for by Friday for their performance at the Shore Day Festival.

Besides, people weren't just happy for no reason. In his experience, people were only happy when they accomplished something. Like winning a cheer competition, or perfectly nailing a stag split handstand before transitioning into a double full basket toss, for example. Happiness wasn't just something you got for no reason. It had to be achieved through blood, sweat, and excessive hard work. So why was his cousin walking around looking like a walking advertisement for their dentist's office?

Addison reached his side, offering him a light pat on the shoulder as she looked out at the squad.

"Why the long face, Buckster?" She said, grinning over to him as he took a long swig from his sports drink bottle. "Everyone is doing a great job. The performance this Friday is going to be excellent."

Bucky lowered his drink, leveling her with his most malicious glare.

"Baby Cuz, I told you already; my name is _not _'Buckster.'"

Addison narrowed her eyes, but still seemed unable to completely lose the smirk on her face.

"Oh, really? Well keep using that megaphone, and I'll just call you by your real name instead, _Buckeye_."

She stuck out her tongue as he felt is cheeks heat up and his eyes widen.

It was not widely known, or known at all, that his full name was Buckeye Bueller Buchanan the Fourth. Actually, he came from a long, noble line of them. Buckeye Buchanan the Third, their grandfather, was a hero of Seabrook during the dark times. He was instrumental in fighting off the zombie hordes to build the barrier, and he even got his ear bitten off in battle. And _his_ grandfather, Buckeye Buchanan the First, was amongst the first settlers to arrive in Seabrook. He had bravely fought off the evil monsters of the forest, in order to harness their precious energy source. At least, those were the stories they had been told as kids. Knowing what he knew now, that was probably not quite how everything had gone down.

But in any case, Bucky was proud of his lineage. Just... Not so proud of the stupid name. Why, oh why, did he have to be the only boy born in this generation of Buchanans? He had managed to make it almost his entire high school career without anyone finding out, and he wasn't about to change that.

Being the intimidating yet amazing person that he was, no one had ever had the guts to ask him what "Bucky" was short for. One of many reasons he had to keep up his reputation as the best.

"You wouldn't." He hissed, feeling his eyes narrowing further as he lowered his voice to a whisper.

She giggled, patting him again on the arm. "Okay, I wouldn't. But still, Bucky, lay off with the yelling. I'm the cheer captain, and my coaching style is different than yours. I know you believe in me, or you wouldn't have given me the position. Just trust me, please?"

He sighed. "I do trust you, Addison. But there's no shame in using that megaphone. I got it for you as a gift, you know." Bucky feigned hurt, giving her his best sad facial expression.

"You know, the nice thing about being part Lunite is that I can tell when people are faking emotions." She replied, still grinning.

Bucky shot her an exasperated look.

"Okay, fine, so I'm not offended." He took a step closer to her, still glancing suspiciously at her. "What's your deal today, anyway? You're all..." He waved a hand vaguely in the air. "Confident and happy and stuff. Like, even more than usual. There's something you aren't telling me."

Her expression didn't change, but he saw a faint, nervous blush flood her cheeks. Ah-ha!

"I don't know what you're talking about, Bucky. But if it makes you happy, I'll try using the megaphone this go-around, deal?"

He pointed a finger at her. "I'm gonna figure this out, Baby Cuz. You've got a secret. Don't think you can distract me by using your awesome, fantastic megaphone."

Addison shrugged, not meeting his eyes as she checked the time on her phone. "The five minutes is up; let's get back to it!"

She shot him another grin as she bounded back to her position in the squad, hastily grabbing up the blue megaphone as she went. His eyes followed her suspiciously, watching as she called the rest of their cheerleaders to return to their places. As he saw her raise the megaphone, he noticed a sparkling glint shine across her hand as she moved.

Wait.

Was that... A _ring?_

Bucky instantly grabbed up his own megaphone, quickly shouting over Addison's patient words of instruction to the squad.

"Five minute break! Again!" Bucky yelled, loud enough that an unpleasant feedback sound screeched out from the device. He lowered it, pointing to Addy as the other cheerleaders looked confused and unsure as to what to do.

"Addy," Bucky barked. "Captain's meeting in the gym office. Now."

She looked at him, slightly surprised, then glanced at the school clock.

"Okay, everyone. Co-Captain Bucky and I have some business to take care of. Let's call it an early day today, alright? Go home and rest, everyone! You did amazingly today!"

The squad all let out whoops of relief at getting out early. Bucky watched as they all began to march towards the locker room, grabbing their bottles and personal belongings as they went. Addison approached him, and he was now sure that she definitely looked nervous.

"What's wrong, Bucky?"

"I don't know, Baby Cuz," Bucky said, raising his eyebrows high as he pointedly held up his left hand, wiggling the ring finger for emphasis. "Why don't you tell me?"

She was fully blushing now, her face an odd combination of joy and embarrassment. She grabbed his hand, pulling him across the expansive gym towards the small office off the corner of the space. She practically threw him into the dimly lit room, closing the door behind her.

"You got engaged and you didn't even tell me? What the heck, Addison?" Bucky shouted, not sure why he was reacting to the ring so strongly. He liked Zed. Not that he'd ever tell the guy, but still. They were great together, even if her boyfriend was a zombie. No, it wasn't the engagement that hurt his feelings. It was the fact that she hadn't told him. He felt pain blossoming in his chest.

Bucky thought that they were close. Like brother and sister.

"We _are _close, Bucky," She said, clearly reading and interpreting his emotions correctly. "I just didn't want to tell anyone until after we find the moonstone tonight. I don't want to take attention away from the task at hand. Nobody knows, yet, besides mom and dad. I haven't even told Bree!"

She stared at him, wide eyed and as though she were focusing heavily on something.

"I just..." He sighed, feeling a sudden happy, contented feeling flowing over him. "I just... Ah, I'm sorry, I freaked out. You know I love Zed, and you guys are amazing together. It just really, really hurt my feelings that you didn't tell me right away."

What was he doing? Did he just admit to not hating Zed?

"Heyyyy," he said, trying to feel mad, but somehow only feeling a mild pleasantness. He let out a short giggle."Are you, ah, doing that emotion manipulating thing on me, Baby Cuz? Because that's not fair." He laughed as he grinned over to her ,quickly relaxing and sitting back into the coach's chair behind him.

Addison looked guilty as her mouth dropped open.

"I was just trying to keep you from blowing up at me," she admitted. "I just... You're right. That wasn't fair. I'm so sorry, Bucky."

Bucky giggled. "Well, do ya think you could stop, because I am feeling _way_ too happy and nice right now." He sighed, leaning further back into the leather chair. This was a nice chair. He was glad that Coach had a good office, the guy sure deserved it.

She looked a little alarmed as he continued to talk.

"You know, Addison, I don't tell you this enough, or ever for that matter, but I love you. You're the best cousin a guy could ask for, and one of the most talented cheerleaders I've ever seen. I'm so proud of you."

She smiled, still looking nervous, but reached out to hold his hand.

"Aww," Addison, said gently patting his hand as she looked at him with a stare of deep concentration. "Um, hey, Bucky, can you do me a favor?"

He smiled broadly. "Of course, Addy! You're like my sister; I'd do anything for you. You'll make a beautiful bride, by the way." He giggled again. Man, he felt _great_.

Addison quickly grabbed her backpack, pulling out the pink and green binder that held all of their cheer routine positions and instructions. She held it out to him, smiling back nervously.

"Bucky, do you think you could, um, read through the routines for me? I want your opinion on them, and I have to run and see someone really quickly. I'll be back in ten minutes."

"I would love to!" He replied enthusiastically, happily taking the binder from her. "But I won't find anything wrong. I'd never admit it, but you're an incredible captain and coach. Oh, I guess I just did admit it. Haha!" He shook his head at his own silliness, then quickly opened the binder to read.

"You go on and go see whoever. I'll stay right here and read it over for you." He smiled up at her, patting her hand back.

Addison laughed nervously, grabbing up her backpack and opening the door.

"You're the best, Bucky!" She said, shooting him another guilty look.

"Nah, Baby Cuz, YOU are the best." He shot her a wink, then placed his feet up onto the desk in front of him, getting comfortable as he heard her quietly shut the door.

What a great day this was turning out to be.

ZzZzZzZ

_Crap, crap, crap!_

Addison stood on the other side of the closed door, bracing her arms against it as though Bucky might try to escape. But as she looked through the small window, she could see that he was wholly concentrating on the task she had given him, reading her binder with his feet on Coach's desk.

What had she done?

When he'd started yelling at her, she had panicked. She had suddenly remembered that she should be able to manipulate emotions, and had spontaneously decided to give it a shot. Then, maybe she'd actually have a chance to explain herself. He had gotten so freaked out so fast, and she'd just wanted to diffuse the situation. It wasn't until she had already put the whammy on him that she realized she had no idea how to undo it.

_Oh my gosh, _she thought, horrified. _I broke Bucky!_

She heard him laugh again from inside the office, for no apparent reason.

Well, at least he was happy. And until she figured out how to fix it, that was the only thing he was going to be. She couldn't let him be stuck like this!

Even if it was a pleasant change from his normal demeanor, she knew he'd be furious if he could be. After glancing in the window once again, she took off, running out of the gym and towards the barrier entry. Her sister would be there; she'd be able to help fix him!

Addison zoomed down the hall, not even realizing how fast she was going until she saw the shocked faces of her fellow students as she flew past. She was going fast. Too fast for a human. She purposefully slowed to a normal jog, hoping she hadn't drawn too much attention to herself.

_Right_, she thought._ Lunite speed_. She vaguely wondered if she was stronger now, too.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. She needed to get her friends to help fix her ridiculous mistake.

Rounding the corner, she rushed down the stairs and out the front entrance. To her left, she could see that the zombies and Lunites were already standing at the old barrier wall, which was now almost purely decorative. Flowerpots and beautiful street art now adorned the disjointed sections of concrete.

Zed smiled at her, but his smile immediately fell as she approached, once he saw the expression on her face. Addison instantly felt his trepidation sliding up her back, which only increased her worry.

"What's wrong?" He asked, pulling her into a loose hug.

"Oh, Zed, I did something terrible!" Addison yelped, guilt and concern bubbling up inside her.

Bree, Bonzo and Eliza were all staring at her, as were the three Lunites. She turned to Mayar, mentally recounting her actions to them. She was too ashamed to say it out loud just yet.

To her shock, Qamar stifled a snort of laughter. Mayar was also attempting to smother a grin, as she looked back to her sister with understanding and amusement in her eyes.

"Oh." Mayar said, unable to completely stop the chuckle that escaped as she placed a hand over her mouth. "Oh, my."


	31. Chapter 31

Author's Note: Hey friends! Today is my birthday! As my gift to you, here is the next chapter. Hopefully Addison and the Lunites will be able to fix Bucky. Haha! Next Chapter, we find out if the moonstone is in Building Z, and what else might be hidden there, as well...

Mayar grasped Starlight's hand reassuringly as the small group followed them quizzically back to the gymnasium office. Zed, Eliza, Bonzo and Bree were radiating concerned confusion as they strolled behind the Lunites. Qamar and Aruna were still laughing. Mayar was managing to handle her amusement a little better, mainly because she could feel exactly how _un-_funny her sister found the entire situation.

_You guys, _Starlight groaned internally. _It's_ so _not funny. I'm the worst cousin ever! How could I do something so manipulative to Bucky?_

_Oh, Starlight, _Mayar replied comfortingly. _You didn't do it on purpose._

_It was probably instinctive. _Qamar chipped in, helpfully.

_You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, _Aruna added. _You're brand new to this entire thing. You can't expect to get everything exactly right every time._

"I have a feeling you are all being way more understanding than Bucky is about to be." Starlight mumbled as they entered the now empty gym.

"Would anyone like to fill the rest of us in on what's happening right now?" Eliza asked, idly checking her watch. "I thought that we had a moonstone to go search for."

"Yeah," Zed said, "What's up, guys?"

Starlight stopped outside of the office, turning to face the assembled group.

"So..." She began, not sure exactly how to explain. "Bucky and I were arguing. He got really mad, and I thought I could calm him down so that we could actually talk to each other. So... I, um... tried to get rid of all his anger. And it worked. Except, it worked, like, way too well. And I couldn't figure out how to undo it. And now he's acting... Very un-Bucky like."

"Wait, what are you saying? You accidentally made Bucky... Nice?" Eliza responded, which triggered another round of quiet laughter from Qamar and Aruna.

Mayar shot them a look of exasperation as she silently chastised them.

_Stop it, you two. Can't you see Starlight feels terrible?_

_But Bucky doesn't._ Qamar replied with another snicker.

Starlight groaned, putting her head in her hands, white hair cascading down to partially obscure her face.

"Come on, Ads," Zed said as he rested an assuring hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure it's not that bad."

It was at this point that the door to the gym office opened, and a beaming Bucky stepped out of the small room, spreading is arms out in a friendly greeting.

"It's great to see you all!" Bucky exclaimed sincerely, walking over to Zed and giving him a massive hug. "Hey, big guy!"

"Uhh." Zed said blankly, as his arms were pinned to his side by Starlight's exceedingly cheerful cousin.

Bucky quickly released him, turning to address the group at large.

"Man, I can't tell you how great I feel right now! You guys," he pointed his hand from person to person, "are my best friends!"

He turned, scooping up Eliza and offering her a short hug as well.

"Wow." Eliza said, her face a confusing combination of astounded and amused.

"Uhh." Zed said again, apparently too shocked to form words anymore.

Bonzo and Bree were both struck speechless as well, Bonzo's mouth actually hanging open as he watched and listened to the suddenly uninhibited school president.

Aruna let out another short burst of laughter, as Bucky approached Addison and the Lunites. Bucky reached out, extending his hand to Qamar as if to shake his hand.

"And can I just say, you are one handsome guy." Bucky shot him a wink and a wide smile. "Sorry if we got off on the wrong foot, Qamar."

Qamar's snowy eyebrows flew up.

"You actually remember my name?" Qamar asked, unable to hide the smile of mingled humor and surprise.

"Well, yeah," Bucky replied. "You're a hard guy to forget."

There was a short, awkward beat of silence. Then, Qamar huffed another small laugh, and extended his own hand to return the handshake. Aruna and Mayar exchanged surprised looks. Mayar honestly couldn't believe that her firmly anti-human friend was willingly shaking hands with one of them. And blushing a light periwinkle, if she wasn't mistaken.

_That's enough, guys._ Starlight implored. _Please help fix him, he's already going to be humiliated._

_He won't really remember it. _Qamar assured her. _Human's memories tend to become very fuzzy in these situations. _Without meaning to, his's thoughts went automatically to Addison's parents, and their willingness to ignore and forget the circumstances of her birth.

Starlight winced slightly.

The zombies and Bree were still staring dumbfounded at Bucky, watching the bizarre interaction between him and Qamar.

Sighing, as though he didn't quite want to do it, Qamar firmly grasped Bucky's hand with both of his own. He inhaled deeply, and Mayar felt the slight strain as he pulled the excess joy from Bucky and into himself.

_Here's the lesson, Starlight. _Mayar said as she gently squeezed her little sisters's hand. _Emotions don't just disappear once you put them out into the world. They have to go somewhere._

Qamar smiled as he absorbed the happiness, sighing contentedly as he flexed his shoulders and let it spread out across him.

_We pull the emotion back into ourselves, _Mayar continued, _and we all must learn how to not let it effect us as it dissipates through our system. And more importantly, this gift should be used sparingly. People are entitled to feel their natural emotions. We mustn't take that away from them._

Starlight squeezed her hand back, watching as Qamar finished his work.

Bucky blinked rapidly.

Abruptly, he looked down and saw that he was holding hands with Qamar, and hastily jerked his hand out of his grasp.

Bucky's face looked comical as he glanced around him, clearly not sure how he came to be outside the gym office surrounded by a group of Lunites, zombies and humans.

"Addison?" He spoke hesitantly, trying to slide back into his normal, confident persona. "Weren't we, ah... Weren't we just talking about something?"

Starlights eyebrows raised, making quick eye contact with the Lunites before sliding back to Bucky.

"Yep!" She said, perhaps a bit over-enthusiastically. "We were just, um, talking about how we're about to go look for the moonstone. We thought that you might want to come along."

Glancing at one another, their friends seemed to quickly catch on.

"Uhh, yeah!" Zed said. "You free to go moonstone hunting, Bucky?"

Bucky straightened out his shoulders, the self-assured smile sliding easily back into place.

"Ah," he said, nodding sagely. "You need a brave, resourceful leader to come along. Of course. I'd be happy to help you out."

"Cool," Zed said. "We're heading that way now."

"Let me just change really quick. Can't risk getting this uniform dirty!"

Bucky grabbed up his bag besides the bleachers, and jogged quickly to the boy's changing room.

Mayar and the others watched him go, most of them still staring after him in complete bewilderment.

"Well," Bree said after a moment. " That was... um..."

"Awesome." Eliza finished. "I wish we could have left him that way. But... Did he really mean all of that stuff?"

"Yes," Mayar replied, nodding. She had been able to feel the sincerity of each thing Bucky had said. "He really does care for you all, and considers you to be his dearest friends. And," she continued, "He really does think that Qamar is _handsome._"

Mayar let out a laugh of her own as she watched her friend scowl in reaction to her statement. He may have been frowning, but he was also blushing, radiating an unexpected mixture of surprised confusion. Maybe he wasn't as anti-human as he had originally thought.

ZzZzZzZ

Only minutes later, Bucky had changed into tan slacks and a powder blue polo shirt. Together, the group had headed back to the barrier entrance, where the wolves were waiting to meet them. Zodiac ran parallel alongside the barrier, so it was an easy matter to simply follow the street. Before a year or so ago, this street had been virtually deserted. Now, however, the buildings nearest the barrier entrances had been refurbished into tiny shops and restaurants. Some of the forgotten parts of Zombietown were slowly coming back to life.

As she walked, Addison fell back in the group, to where Bucky was walking towards the back. Apparently, he had no memory of seeing the ring and blowing up at her for keeping secrets from him. But still, she felt like she needed to make it right between them. Because at the end of the day, they really _were _close, and he really _was _like her big brother. She would tell him, as she should have in the first place, and let him react however he needed to.

"Hey, Bucky," Addison started, "Can we talk a minute? I have something to tell you." She beamed, the joy seeping out of her as she felt the light weight of the aquamarine stone against her left ring finger.

"Sure, Baby Cuz." He replied.

Addison tilted her head, indicating that they walk a bit behind the others so as not to be overheard.

The two cousins fell back by several paces, where they were still in view of the others but out of earshot.

"What's up, Addison?" Bucky asked, once they were far enough behind. "Needing some more coaching advice? You know I'm always happy to help."

She laughed.

"No," She replied. "Actually, it's not cheer related at all."

Addison wrung her hands together, determined but nervous. What if he reacted horribly again? What if he got mad, or stormed off angrily?

"Hey," Bucky said, squeezing her shoulder briefly. "Seriously, what's wrong? Do I need to get ugly with someone? It may be off brand for me, but I'd be glad to punch someone if I need to, ya know."

She laughed.

"No, Bucky, nothing's wrong." She paused, then continued. "Actually, everything is great. Zed...asked me to marry him. And I said yes!"

She held up her left hand, offering it to him for examination as they stopped walking.

For a second, he was silent, eyebrows high and his hand reaching out to examine the ring adorning her left hand. His emotions were a mixed bag of fear, confusion, and, to her surprise, happiness.

"Are you happy, Addison?" He asked her seriously, concern rolling off of him.

"I'm so happy, Bucky. I really love him, and he loves me back."

After a short second of tense indecision, she watched in awe as Bucky stretched his arms out to hug her.

"Well, if you're happy, cuz, then I'm happy, too. Congratulations!" He wrapped his arms around her, laughing lightly as he lifted her briefly off of the ground. He leaned back, grasping both of her arms with his head and bouncing lightly on his feet. "Oh my gosh, baby cuz, we get to plan a wedding! It is going to be simple and elegant, yet overblown and flashy."

Bucky fanned his hands out in his classic 'jazz hands' pose.

Addison laughed, tossing her head back at the ridiculousness of it.

She had been absolutely terrified to tell Bucky. Yet she had completely misjudged him. Addison had learned a lot about her cousin recently, between him helping the zombies at school a few days back, and by his uninhibited statements today. He was no longer the self-absorbled bully he had once been, even if he liked to pretend otherwise. Maybe, eventually, he wouldn't feel the need to pretend anymore, with a little help from her and their friends.

"Hey," she cut in. "Just keep this between us for now, though, okay? I wanted to wait until after we find the moonstone to tell everyone else."

Bucky quickly mimicked sealing his lips shut with an invisible key, then tossed the invisible key over his shoulder.

They laughed together as they began to walk forward again, stepping quickly in order to catch up with the rest of the group. Addison smiled, feeling as though her relationship with Bucky had suddenly become so much closer than it had been before. While her major goof-up had been terrible, it had also been very illuminating. And a definite learning opportunity for her.

By the next block, they had nearly caught up to the rest of the group.

Addison looked ahead to see Zed, craning his head back to check on her.

_Everything good?_ He asked, grinning.

She smiled and nodded, giving him a discrete thumbs up.

Zed turned back to his discussion with Bonzo and Bree, However, although his thoughts were no longer directed towards her, Addison could still hear them clearly.

_Jeez, she's gorgeous in the sunlight. I can't wait to see how beautiful she looks in a white dress. _His head tilted to the side. _Not to mention, how delicious she'll look in her swimsuit on Shore Day. Mmm._

Addison snorted out a burst of laughter, earning her weird looks from Bucky, Willa and Eliza, who were also at the back of the group. She just shrugged.

"Inside joke." Addison explained, making Eliza chuckle and shake her head.

"What," she laughed, "with yourself?"

Addison just grinned again as she glanced at her surroundings.

Whoa.

While they had gone less than ten blocks, the appearances of the street and buildings had changed drastically. Most of these buildings had boarded up or broken windows, and almost all of them looked like they had been devoid of activity for quite some time. To her left, she saw a rather sleazy-looking fuel station, which had an even sleazier-looking liquor store attached to the side of the building. Two older male zombies stood outside smoking, watching the unusual grouping of teenagers walk past with a look of intense boredom. They walked on.

Zed glanced back at her, meeting her eyes once again. _This isn't the best part of Zombietown. Stay close. _

Addison nodded, nudging Bucky and indicating that they should tighten ranks. He nodded fervently, clearly nervous despite his supposed bravado. As they rounded the final corner, the left side of the street seemed to open up into mostly empty lots or partially demolished houses. Unlike the rest of town, this area of Zombietown still seemed to show actual evidence of the struggle that had occurred during the long-ago outbreak. A streetlamp was leaning sideways, knocked partially out of the ground by a burned out 1960's VW beetle. An empty newspaper box was on its side on the sidewalk, door hanging open and filled with old, rotted out newspapers.

There was a strange quietness that seemed to permeate the entire block. A soft breeze ruffled Addison's hair, and she suddenly felt a strong, cool hand grasping her's. She looked up to see Zed, who had moved back in the group to reach her. He was staring down the street to the right, past the large, empty lot which separated them from a large, decrepit-looking brick building. Addison shivered. She had never felt such a thing before, but even from this distance, the structure itself seemed to radiate sadness.

Building Z.


	32. Chapter 32

Author's note: Wishing you all a great start to this week! You are all awesome, and your reviews continue to make my day! It has been a crazy weekend, as usual, but I'm hoping to have some good writing time this week because I'm super excited about the next chapter!

Stay awesome, stay safe, and please like, follow and review!

ZzZzZzZ

Zed felt a chill go up his back as the group stared up at the decrepit brick structure.

Building Z didn't look inherently creepy. The front section of the structure was a three-story red brick facade, with several arched windows. Some of the windows were busted out or boarded shut. The windows that weren't broken were painted in a mosaic of maroon, green, and deep blue. At the center of the facade, a very faded Seabrook power logo had been mostly obscured by weather and vines. Above it, only a few disjointed rusty letters remained in the metal font that identified the structure.

"SE BR O P ER ADMI RA IV OFF C "

"Seabrook Power Administrative Office." Bree supplied helpfully. "This is the place."

For a moment, everyone was quiet, no one sure quite how to proceed from here. A low wind moaned through the overgrown grass and shrubs that surrounded the property. It seemed so desolate, even though Zed knew that only a few blocks away, the rest of Zombietown was alive and thriving. This place seemed so... dead.

Around them, thunder suddenly rumbled loud and low, gently vibrating the air around them. A few giant, wet raindrops began to patter down onto Zed's head. He looked up, now seeing that the sky was overcast with deep grey clouds, though it had still been sunny when they'd left the school. They should probably get inside. Not that he was particularly looking forward to checking out Building Z. Something about the whole thing was filling him with an uneasiness he couldn't describe.

Reaching out, he grasped the rusty metal doorknob, attempting to open the door. It was locked, of course.

"Maybe we should look at the side of the building?" Aruna suggested. "The room in the drawing is dark, and all of these windows would let in too much light."

That made sense.

Off to the side of the property, the back of the building swung to the right. A large, warehouse-looking structure was attached at the back. It was the same three-story height as the facade, but without the windows. The only source of light would probably come from the few holes that were visible on the roof of the warehouse area. This area looked much more promising. And, if possible, even creepier than the front of the building.

Great.

To the side of the front section of the building, Zed spotted a window on the ground story that was boarded over.

"Hey, Bonzo," Zed stated, "Give me a hand?"

Together, the two men walked over to the window, each grasping one side of the large section of wood. More raindrops were beginning to fall now, increasing their urgency to get inside. With a protesting groan, the plywood splintered, breaking apart as Zed and Bonzo tore it from the window in two separate pieces.

"There!" Zed huffed, feeling satisfied. Bonzo laughed, flinging his section of plywood into the overgrown lot next door as thought it were a frisbee disc. It made it an impressive distance before disappearing into the tall grass.

"I'll go in first," Zed said, clambering through the window without further preamble. However, the floor was a bit further down than he had anticipated, and so he flopped to the ground with an uncomfortable thud that sent a sharp ache running through his injured shoulder.

_Dazat zhur, that hurt! _He cursed inwardly.

"Zed?" Addison's voice sounded from outside, filled with concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" He replied quickly, examining his surroundings.

He seemed to be in a hallway of some kind, and he stood, dusting himself off. Above his head, he could distantly hear the patter of increasing rain on the dilapidated rooftop. There was a light smell of mold and mustiness in the building, along with a strange chemical smell he couldn't identify. On the wall opposite the window, there were arrows, pointing the directions to different sections of the facility. A placard marked "Administrative" pointed towards the front of the structure. Pointing back, towards the large, windowless brick structure, was a second placard labeled "Testing." The hall seemed fairly normal, other than the damage years of neglect had clearly done to it and the rest of the space. But something about the banal hallway made the little hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

The sooner they found the moonstone and got out of here, the happier he'd be.

Zed turned, looking back through the now open window and down at his waiting friends.

"Come on, guys!" He encouraged. "It's all clear."

He reached out his arm to grasp Addison's hands, pulling her up and safely into his arms, before setting her gently on the ground. Truth be told, he could have held her all day, but he didn't think the other's would appreciate it very much.

Zed watched as his unique group of friends clambered in after one another. Bucky landed with a very flamboyant back flip, immediately standing up and smiling out of habit for a crowd that wasn't there. He was followed by Qamar, who entered gracefully enough, landing and balancing on the balls of his feet. Mayar was hefted up to the window on Wyatt's shoulders, as were Aruna and Wynter. Zed was glad that this part of Zombietown was abandoned, because they were not being at all inconspicuous. They looked exactly like a group of teenagers committing a breaking and entering.

Once Willa and Eliza had assisted one another into the window, they all stood quietly for a moment and took in their dingy surroundings. It was now raining properly, a gentle stream of rain trickling into the window they had just entered. A small puddle was developing on the tile floor, water immediately greying with dirt and dust.

"This place gives me the creeps." Zed said bluntly, after a short beat of silence.

The rest of them seemed to agree heartily, nodding their heads as they continued to examine the space.

"Well, then, let's get to searching so that we can get out." Addison replied resolutely.

The group moved forward, sticking together as they followed the signs labeled "Testing." Other than the sound of pattering raindrops throughout the exterior of the building, there was little sound besides the squeaking of wet shoes against the dirty tile floor. Behind them, they left a plethora of muddy footprints. At the end of the hall, they turned left into a short stairway with no windows. It was dim, and had a thick metal door sitting on a small landing at the top.

Addison and Bree turned on the flashlights on their phones, holding them up to examine the large sign that stated "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY." They all exchanged looks. Zed reached forward, jiggling the door handle.

"It's locked," he stated. "How're we going to get in?"

"Move over, Zed." Said Eliza with a grin on her face.

They all quickly moved out of Eliza's way, as she made a short sprint for the door. Her boot connected firmly with the handle, denting in the metal around it. With another swift kick, the door buckled and came loose, swinging partially free from the door frame as it hung open. It was dim inside, but not unmanageably so. Eliza turned back to the group, grinning broadly.

"That's my girl." Willa said proudly, shooting her girlfriend a wink as Eliza smiled bak at her.

Pushing back the now concave door, Zed, Addison and the others made their way into the dimness of the space. It looked a little like the control room at the old Power Plant, but smaller. A rounded room, with a curved line of desks rather than a system of control panels. The desks all looked forward towards a large observation window. On several of them, dust-covered composition notebooks sat, some open with writing utensils lying beside them. A mug sat along the windowsill of the observation area, with a dark stain at the bottom that had been coffee, decades before.

It was as though whoever used to work there had simply gotten up from their desks at the end of the workday, and never returned.

Bree approached one of the desks, curiously lifting up one of the old notebooks that lay open. She began to read aloud.

"Z-Band Testing. Batch Number Four." She paused, looking up at the others with wide eyes. "Z-Band testing...Oh." She looked around the room, as the realization spread through the room.

Testing. This had been the facility where they developed and tested Z-Bands. Zed felt a little bit queasy as he turned his head to look out into the darkened observation window.

Bree continued to read.

"October 27th, 1992. Batch Four. Testing Subject 05. Age 18. Male. Subject seems to have been in good health prior to outbreak and infection. Began running tests at 9:30 this morning. Subject has a high tolerance for pain, and was lucid for several minutes during the experiment. Subject 4-05 was able to speak repeatedly, and was even able to recall and state his name in English, rather than in zombie tongue."

Bree was quiet for a moment as she read the next several lines of notes. She gulped, and looked up at Zed. "I don't know if I should read the rest."

The way she looked at him made him feel uneasy.

Zed reached out, gently pulling the notebook from her hands.

"Zed," Addison warned. "You don't want to read that." She looked sick.

The Lunites, who had apparently listened to Bree reading ahead in her mind, all looked horrified.

Mayar looked even paler than normal, and a hand covered her mouth in distress as Wyatt placed a comforting hand in hers. Qamar looked grave, and was glaring out into the darkness of the observation window.

Later, Zed would wish he had listened to Addy, but at the time, the curiosity was too much. He picked up reading where Bree had left off.

"Subject 4-05 stated that his name was Zedekiah Zion. Was also able to recall the name of his younger sister, a child named Zarah. At 3:20 pm, Subject 4-05 was able to ask for a glass of water, in English. Unfortunately, Subject 4-05 had become too weak after testing, and died at approximately 3:30 in this afternoon. Despite this setback, we feel we are becoming closer and closer to creating a band that will restore some level of humanity to these poor creatures, without killing them in the process. Using pulsating shock methods have proved to be far more effective that our original methods, and the test subjects are living longer and providing more information each time. Batch Four has been the most successful batch thus far..."

Zed trailed off and lowered the notebook, letting to drop with a puff of dust onto another desk. He thought he might actually vomit. Addison was suddenly beside him, not speaking but simply hugging him. Her hands combed through his hair as she reached up to stroke his head in a soothing, calming gesture. He felt a strange sort of deep ache in his chest. Like a muted form of the grief he had felt for his mother. This grief was for an uncle he had never known, and grief for all of Zombiekind for the horror that had happened here.

Around him, the others were also examining different notebooks on different desks. Judging for their faces, the other notebooks were filled with similar details about other "testing subjects." Even Bucky looked ill, as he too read through a faded green notebook. How many zombies had died here, to give them the Z-Bands? The band on his wrist felt suddenly too heavy to bear. Zed looked to Eliza, who was staring, horrified, towards the darkened observation window. Following her gaze, he looked into the blackness, not sure he wanted to see what was down there at all.

Wyatt had put down the notebook he had been reading through with Mayar and began to walk along the walls, searching for something.

"What are you looking for? Asked Wynter, who had been examining a purple notebook in the corner.

"This place is... Awful." Wyatt stated with a shudder. "The only good thing that can come out of being here is to find the moonstone. I'm seeing if we can turn on the lights into the experimentation room."

Zed was still for a moment as he considered this. He was disgusted by what had happened here, and wanted to make sure that these zombies would be remembered. And he was sure that he and his friends would ensure that this place would be brought into the light. But for now, the best way to honor his people was to keep Seabrook safe, and find the second moonstone.

He nodded.

He and his friends began to look around, but there were no light switches to be found within the observation room. However, there was a large crank wheel the size of his forearm, with a smaller handle on the side to rotate it forward and backward. It looked almost more like the helm of a ship than it did a device to move or open something.

"Hey, Bonzo?" Zed asked. "Help me out again?"

Bonzo met his eyes gravely, nodding with a mumbled "Jah."

Together, they each grabbed a side of the wheel, and began to rotate it clockwise.

There was a deep groan that sounded eerily through the space, as though the building itself was moaning in protest. Then, muted light from outside suddenly flooded the other side of the observation window. Metal doors which covered several large windows on one side of the space slowly slid down, the sound of rain increasing as heavy drops pelted the still-intact windows.

Down in the experimentation room, rows of cages sat, with a desk and tables of medical and electrical equipment sitting outside of each one. Individual observation desks for each cage, of which there were about two dozen. At one time, this had been quite a bustling operation. He shuddered again.

"There!" Addison gasped, pointing to the back corner of the room.

Suspended from the ceiling, was a large, misshapen lump dangling in the air. It was covered in some sort of tarp or shroud, and was swinging creepily from side to side in an invisible breeze.

The moonstone!

Together, the group of friends rushed to a side door at the back of the observation room, which led down a set of stairs and into the large space before them.


	33. Chapter 33

Addison grasped Zed's hand tightly as they all carefully descended the old metal stairs. They seemed stable enough, but the steps creaked and groaned with each step, having grown unused to the weight and fluctuation of people walking on them.

The floor was polished cement, coated with decades of dirt and debris. Each of Addison's steps kicked up a small cloud of dust. Though she didn't want to, she couldn't help but glance inside some of the cages as they made their way past. There were gouges ripped into the concrete, looking like the desperate clawing and scratching of strong hands trying to escape something. Disturbing stains marked the floor in some of the enclosures. She felt her stomach lurch uncomfortably, and wrapped her arm around Zed's side. If it was horrifying for her, it had to be doubly so for him and the other zombies.

As they navigated their way through the maze of cages, the sound of the rain on the rooftop increased as thick rainfall battered the windows and roof. It changed the ambiance of the space from silent and creepy to roaring and tense. Addison shuddered lightly, feeling the light chill of her still-damp clothing in the cool stillness of the room. In the corner, the shrouded moonstone still seemed to sway slightly in a phantom wind.

The rain roared on all around them as they made it past the last row of cages. Approaching the stone, Addison began looking around for a way to get it down from it's suspended position on the ceiling.

"Maybe someone could climb up?" Wynter asked doubtfully, pointing at a loose section of rope hanging down and almost dragging the floor.

"Do you think it's stable enough?" Addison wondered, arching an eyebrow as she looked up at the tattered rope. The rope may have been holding up the moonstone, but it still looked old and frayed.

In the distance, thunder rumbled, causing the windows to shake and the floor to vibrate gently.

"_Zarugala!_" Bonzo said, his voice booming over the roar of the rain as it pelted the exterior of the structure.

Against the far wall, behind the shadow cast by the suspended moonstone, was a second section of rope, this one pulled taut and tied to metal piping against the wall. It seemed to be what was holding the stone in place.

The group of friends rushed forward.

"Okay guys," Willa said, grabbing everyone's attention in the authoritative voice of a true werewolf alpha. "We should be able to hoist it down gently with this. Everyone form a line."

Addison and the others followed her instruction, lining up as Bonzo began to work at untying the tangle of knots. Qamar and Aruna stepped forward to help him manage it, their white hair glowing dimly against the oppressive gloominess of the space.

As they worked at unbinding the knot, Addison's gaze wandered up to the large, shrouded object. It looked like it was roughly the size of the old hope chest in her parents' bedroom. They stored antique quilts in it, and a few other items that had been in their family since her ancestors first came to Seabrook. This was definitely smaller than the wolves' moonstone. It was wrapped loosely in a canvas tarp, and it looked like the tarp had been hastily placed around the stone after the ropes were already attached.

Lining up, Addison and the others prepared to take on the substantial weight of the stone as Bonzo, Qamar and Aruna untied the last of the knots. Standing in line between Zed and Wynter, she braced herself for the sudden heaviness of it. With the loosing of the final knot, the stone rapidly dropped by a few feet as they took on the force of its weight. Everyone huffed or grunted with exertion as they began to slowly lower the moonstone to the ground. As it descended, it danced back and forth like a pendulum.

With a heavy thud that was partially muted by the tarp, the moonstone reached the concrete floor.

Dropping the rope, everyone rushed to crowd around it. Willa and Wyatt immediately began to unwrap the large shroud. Impatiently, Wyatt took a sharp, well manicured claw and began to slice into the tarp. Working quickly, and with a sound of ripping fabric, he scratched a line along the length of the stone. Wynter moved forward, helping them to pull the torn lengths of fabric away from the stone.

As the tarp fell away, they all stood for a moment in silence.

_What?_

Addison examined the grey boulder, similar to many she had seen during her walks through the forbidden forest. For a short second, they were all frozen as expressions of confusion spread from face to face. This definitely wasn't a moonstone.

Then, she understood.

The moonstone had never been here.

Charon had tricked them. He had put that vision into their heads intentionally, to throw off their search.

And they had fallen for it completely.

Next to her, Zed ran a hand restlessly through his hair, releasing a muttered curse in zombie tongue. Wyatt growled in frustration, kicking at the torn section of tarp with his boot, while Mayar stood staring with her mouth hanging slightly open.

Addison could taste the growing realization and shock as everyone gradually figured out what had taken place. They had come all this way, only to learn that they were no closer to finding the moonstone than they had been a week ago.

As she stared forward, Addison noticed a flash of something shiny and black at the edge of the tarp, along the smaller section of the stone. It didn't look like it was made out of the same material as the boulder. Frowning, she moved forward as the others continued to react. Reaching down, she slowly pulled the frayed section of tarp back and away. Her movement revealed a small, black plastic box adhered to the side of the boulder. And on the front of the tiny box was a digital clock, green numbers steadily counting down.

_37, 36, 35..._

_Oh, no!_

"Trap," She gasped, trying to find the words to articulate the panic now growing in her chest.

"What?" Said Willa, looking down at Addison with an intense gaze.

"Trap!" Addison shouted, suddenly finding her voice. "It's a trap, it's going to blow up!"

Instantly, her head filled with confusion and then a crippling fear as everyone around her registered what was happening. Before she could process what he was doing, she let out a tiny yelp of surprise as Zed grabbed her by the waist, hoisting her into his arms and running for the stairs.

"Run!" Someone shouted as the entire group erupted into chaos. Qamar instantly scooped up Bucky in a fireman's hold as the cheerleader let out a hysterical scream of panic.

"I'm too important to die!" Bucky shouted, his voice fluctuating up and down with each of Qamar's rapid steps.

Eliza and Willa were running together, Willa's black and white hair cascading dramatically around her head and shoulders. Mayar, Wyatt and Wynter were directly behind them, all of them with matching expressions of wide-eyed terror.

"Zed!" Addison screamed. "We aren't going to make it!"

"We will!" He shouted back, and she felt his determination as it ran through her.

The group sprinted up the stairs, Bonzo and Bree trailing behind at the back of the chain of people. Addison stared forward as they ran, ignoring the desks and notebooks in the observation room as it quickly disappeared from her sight. She felt her teeth clack together hard as Zed pounded down the stairs, followed by the others in a sort of frantic procession.

They were running out of time.

"Zed, get down!" She cried.

Leaping forward, Zed tossed her roughly to the dirty tile floor of the hallway, then fell on top of her. She felt his arms encircle her tightly and felt his face pressing into the back of her hair, shielding her body as much as possible with his tall frame.

_I love you, Addison._ He whispered fervently into her head.

Then, the bomb exploded.

ZzZzZzZ

"Zed!" Addison cried into his ear," Get down!"

He reacted immediately, dropping her to the floor in a rush and immediately jumping on top of her. Zed pulled in her arms and legs, wrapping her petite frame safely within his own.

_I love you, Addison. _He thought fervently, knowing that she would hear him, and hoping that his body would shield her. He tucked his head down over hers, trying to cover as much of her as possible. For a short moment, he could hear nothing but his own frantic breathing and Addison's panicked pulse thumping in his ears.

Then, a boom louder than any thunder reverberated through the hall. Zed felt the breath being knocked out of him as what felt like a gigantic wave crashed over him. The pressure made his ears pop, and he shouted out as brick and plaster pelted his back and thick dust obscured his vision. There was a strange roaring sound in his head. He heard Addison yell out something, but couldn't make out what she was saying. Behind him, he could hear the shouting and screams of his friends, and a pit formed in his stomach as he cowered there helplessly.

With another deep rumble, the building shuddered again and grew gradually still.

A cloud of dust continued to fall thickly across Zed, coating the inside of his nose and mouth. He could hear the sounds of groaning and coughing around him, and opened his eyes. He blinked against the layer of powder that covered his face, and sputtered out a thick cough as he looked down to Addison. She had craned her neck around, and was looking up at him with a face coated in grime. Even her eyebrows and eyelashes were covered with a layer of dust. But her eyes were clear and blue, and gazed back at him with a look of intensity that stole his breath.

"Are you okay?" She asked, and released a rattling cough of her own as she attempted to clear the dust from her lungs.

"Yeah," Zed gasped. "You?"

"I'm fine. Is everyone-" she coughed again. "Is everyone else okay?"

Zed rolled off of her, gasping as sharp pain spread out across his shoulder. At this rate, it was probably never going to heal quite right, but he wasn't particularly worried about it at the moment. He reached back, taking her hand and slowly pulling her into a sitting position next to him. His limbs felt like rubber, and his ears were still ringing slightly. He turned away, spitting out a mouthful of dirt.

A few feet from him, Qamar and Bucky were also rising into sitting positions, as Qamar shook the dust from his hair like a dog shaking off water. Eliza, Willa and Wynter were a little further back, groaning and pushing small sections of debris away from themselves. Eliza seemed to have a bloody lip, but that was the only injury he could see from his seated position on the floor. Aruna reached out behind her, moving a section of plaster and brick that should have been too heavy to move with one hand, revealing a dusty and bruised Wyatt and Mayar.

"Is everyone alright?" Zed asked, coughing and spitting again as he spoke.

The partially demolished hallway echoed with responses as everyone replied that they were alright, though he suspected some of them would still be needing some medical attention. A dark line of blood was coating Eliza's lip and chin, the deep purple-red contrasting sharply with the white and grey dust that coated her face and hair. Wyatt had a large abrasion across his cheek, which was swelling rapidly as he checked Mayar over for non-existant injuries.

"Charon sure is a fan of pyrotechnics, huh?" Wyatt mumbled aloud as he brushed a large chunk of brick from his shoulder. More groans resounded in the hazy hallway in response.

"Guys?" Zed started, a sudden sinking feeling spreading through his chest. "Where's Bonzo and Bree?"

Around him, eyes widened as they surveyed their surroundings, finding no sign of their two friends.

"Bonzo? Bonzo!" Zed shouted, releasing another deep, hacking cough. "_Bonzo!_"

"Bree!" Addison yelled, a high note of panic causing her voice to break.

Silence greeted them as they all stared back towards the stairway, which seemed to have collapsed in a twisted heap of brick, metal and plaster. With a grunt, Zed began to stumble to his feet, trying to make his way towards the demolished stairway. His rubbery legs didn't want to work yet, and he immediately collapsed to his knees as he called out to his friends again.

"Bonzo, Bree! Can you hear us?" Eliza called out, her voice slightly slurred by her increasingly swollen lower lip.

The pile of rubble suddenly shifted, and a short roar resounded through the dust-veiled hallway. Then, Bonzo burst through the pile, debris flying as he released another roar. Black veins spider-webbed across his arms and up his neck to his face, where red-rimmed charcoal eyes glared back to the group through the haze of powdered dirt and plaster.

Around his shoulders and waist, Bree clung to him in a strange sort of reverse piggy-back. Grasped tightly in her hand was Bonzo's Z-band.

Bonzo shook his shaggy hair, sending chunks of plaster and brick flying in all directions as he carefully lowered Bree to the ground. Tear tracks left dark streaks down Bree's face, but she was smiling as she carefully wrapped Bonzo's Z-band around his wrist, holding the broken clasp in place as the veins quickly receded back down his arm.

Zed could hear the uncomfortable crackling sound as Bonzo's body readjusted to it's normal state, and he watched as Bonzo grinned broadly down at his girlfriend as his large hand encircled her own over the broken Z-band. Then to his shock, Bonzo spoke aloud in accented, but clearly understandable English.

"I guess I'm braver than I thought."

"My hero." Bree smiled up at him, and he leaned down to offer her a short but tender kiss.

"_Zalbry vara zah._" (Anything for you) Bonzo responded.

Zed finally made it to his feet, slipping a little on a busted section of tile on the floor.

"Are you guyth okay?" Eliza asked Bonzo and Bree, a lisp becoming increasingly apparent as her lower lip continued to swell.

"We're fine." Bree replied, her brows arching down in worry. "But you don't look so good, Eliza. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, ith juth a busted lip."

The space suddenly echoed with the sounds of nearby sirens.

"We need to get out of here," Addison said. "Or the Lunites are going to be outed whether they want to be or not."

"Good point." Said Mayar, who exchanged worried looks with Qamar and Aruna. "I don't think this is exactly what our elders had in mind when we discussed revealing ourselves to the citizens of Seabrook."

She gestured rather unnecessarily around her at the rubble surrounding them in the ruined hallway.

Zed looked around, seeing that the window they had entered through was still intact.

"Come on," he called out. "Let's go!"

Everyone rose to their feet, grunting or wincing but otherwise seeming generally okay.

Together, they took turns clambering back out of the window and into the heavy afternoon rain.

The raindrops felt good as they rinsed away some of the dust that was caked on each of them, and Zed raised his face to the sky as he attempted to wipe away some of the grime from his eyes, nose and mouth. After a minute, everyone had successfully made it back outside, and they took a second to bask in the excellent sensation of the cool rain.

"Come on everyone," Addison said insistently. "We need to-"

"STOP" a voice boomed suddenly behind them, causing the group of friends to jump and quickly turn to face the road. Several Z-Patrol vehicles were there, tranquilizer dart guns already trained on them as firefighters rushed towards the back of the structure.

"Put your hands behind your heads!"

"Uh-oh." Zed gulped.


	34. Chapter 34

Author's note: Hey again everyone! I hope that this chapter update finds you all well, and that everyone is doing okay out there. Once again, I'm sorry about the slower chapter updates. I sincerely hope that the world slows down a little, so that I can have more than a few minutes a day of writing time.

You are all wonderful! Follow, like and review. I love hearing from y'all!

ZzZzZzZ

Wyatt let out a small hiss of discomfort as the medical technician completed her final stitch across his battered cheekbone. He was sitting in the back of an ambulance, the red lights flashing against the gloom of the afternoon storm. Mayar held his hand, looking up at him with wide eyes that brimmed with tears. He squeezed her hand. Wyatt wanted to assure her that he was fine, but had already been told twice not to speak by the stern woman in the EMT uniform.

After the initial high tension situation, when Z-patrol had caught them climbing out of the now partially demolished Building Z, things had been strained for a few moments. As officers had approached them with cuffs in hand, Wyatt had felt panic rising up in him, remembering all too well how it had felt to be cuffed and held against his will by Z-patrol. He did not want to feel trapped again, and his pulse jumped erratically.

But as they reached them, the officer in front paused.

"Hey," he said, eyebrows raising in surprise as raindrops pelted his face. "You're just a bunch of kids!"

He turned back to the other officers, rapidly signaling for them to lower their weapons.

"We were a little alarmed, when we saw so many people climbing out of the window. What the heck were you doing in there?" He asked, looking back to face the group.

"Urban exploration?" Zed tried, attempting to smile charmingly but instead releasing another deep, rattling cough. The dust and grime they had been coated in was now washing off of their skin and faces, but was leaving their clothes and hair caked in a greyish muddy mess.

"Uh-huh. And... Wait, what are you three wearing?" He had asked, looking towards the Lunites. Luckily, their white hair was now mostly obscured by the mud and grime, though Wyatt could see the faint blue glow beneath it all.

"They're my cousins," Addison jumped in quickly. "They, um, work at a Renaissance fair."

The officer arched an eyebrow skeptically as rain continued to drip down from his dark, braided hair and into his face. He took a step forward, examining the three more closely as the rest of the group watched nervously. But then, he looked suddenly bored. He lowered his gaze and turned quickly away from the Lunites.

From over the officer's shoulder, Wyatt saw Mayar wink at him as their eyes met. Wyatt grinned, then winced as he felt the sharp sting of the laceration on his face.

"We got an anonymous call that there was a gas leak over in this part of Zombietown, but the explosion occurred before we could make it here." The officer continued. "You kids are very lucky."

Wyatt raised his eyebrows.

Woah. Charon was one heck of a planner. If they hadn't made it out of the building in time, which he was sure had been Charon's plan, the whole thing may very well have been labeled as a tragic accident. The explosion may never have even been investigated.

At every turn thus far, this guy seemed to always be one step ahead of them. Wyatt was starting to think that they were outmatched and outwitted, and he didn't like the feeling at all.

The sting of anesthetic spray brought Wyatt's thoughts rapidly back to the present, and he howled out in protest. A few feet away, Wynter snapped her head up in surprise at his colorful language. He made a mental note to himself to put a pebble in the "Swear-Wolf" jar, once he finally got home to the den.

Looking out across the rainy street, he could see Eliza in the other ambulance, sitting stoically as she received several stitches of her own down the center of her lower lip. Willa was standing next to the door, hovering threateningly over a very nervous-looking human technician. It looked like a lot more than the "little cut" Eliza had insisted it was, but like him, she had refused to go to the hospital. The technician had actually recommended that she see a plastic surgeon, so that the injury wouldn't leave a scar. But as it turned out, the sub-standard medical coverage that Zombies received from the city of Seabrook did not include cometic surgery.

Eliza and Wyatt had both opted to get patched up in the back of an ambulance, so that they could be released at the scene.

Another EMT stood under the awning outside Wyatt's ambulance, checking over Zed's shoulder. His plastic cast now had a large crack in it, but from what Wyatt could hear of the conversation, he had at least not re-broken it. Again.

Addison, Aruna, Qamar, Bucky, Bree and Bonzo were all standing between the two ambulances, becoming increasingly waterlogged as the rain continued to fall in a steady drizzle. Addison looked cold, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she shifted from foot to foot. She was glancing repeatedly at Zed with concern while she watched the technician complete their examination of his shoulder. Bucky seemed to be telling the others a story, which had them all laughing despite the gloom of the situation.

Despite his instructions not to move, Wyatt grinned slightly. As much as he didn't like Bucky, he had to admit that Addison's cousin might not be entirely hopeless. His willingness to help them and associate with them was in itself a large improvement. As he watched, Bucky high-fived Qamar, who was grinning broadly. At least they seemed to be getting along better now. After the bonfire a few nights before, Wyatt had been pretty sure that the two males couldn't stand one another. Whatever their issue had been, they seemed to be mostly over it now.

"All done," the stern woman announced, after spraying a numbing medication onto the surface of his cheek. "Be careful not to move your face too much for a few days, or the stitches could pop."

"Yes mam'm," Wyatt said with a nod, which left his head and face throbbing slightly. Hopefully that numbing medication would kick in soon. "Thank you."

Hopping off of the back of the ambulance, Wyatt embraced Mayar in a tight hug.

"Oh, Wyatt." She said, gently placing a hand on his other cheek as she looked up at him with eyes full of tension and concern. Blue-tinted tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes.

"Hey," he said, attempting to run a hand through her hopelessly muddy and tangled hair. "I'm fine. We're all fine. See, they're finishing up with Eliza right now."

As they both looked, Eliza was sliding herself off of the back steps of the other ambulance. Willa was instantly at her side. Speaking words too quiet for even Wyatt to hear through the rain, he watched his sister and her mate leaned in to embrace one another. Their foreheads rested together, eyes closed as they exchanged a quiet but clearly very passionate conversation. It was such a tender moment that Wyatt had to look away from them.

Behind him, Zed was making his way back to the group, reaching out with his good arm as Addison ran over to hug him. Wyatt and Mayar joined hands, walking over to where the rest of the group seemed to be converging.

Soon, they were all standing in the center of the street.

"We should go," Mayar said, a slight strain in her voice. "We can't keep the Z-patrol uninterested in us forever."

Wyatt's eyes widened. He had suspected that Mayar had been responsible for the officer's sudden disinterest in the Lunites earlier, but he hadn't realized that her, Aruna and Qamar were still doing so. Especially not including the other five officers on scene. Though now that he considered it, it _was_ pretty weird that the Z-partrol hadn't held them or questioned them in anyway. They'd merely directed the group to the two ambulances, and turned their attention back to the rubble of Building Z. There was no way that would have happened under normal circumstances.

"Othay, ebryone," Eliza started, a hand flying instantly up to her lip as though in pain.

"Owth." She mumbled, looking helplessly towards Willa. Willa smiled lovingly towards Eliza, kissed her on the cheek, and turned to address the others.

"Okay, everyone." she said. "Let's all go home, get cleaned off and changed. Then, we'll meet at Zombrews at seven."

Everyone seemed to let out a collective grunt and frustration. Wyatt was pretty sure that his friends all felt as demoralized as he did at the moment. They had failed to find the moonstone, which meant that Charon still had it. Each time that they had gone up against him, he had always been the one to inflict the most damage. And despite their teamwork, they still had nothing to show for it all.

"Guys," Addison interrupted. "We can't give just... need a new plan." She said tiredly.

"You're right Addy," Zed nodded, actually looking somehow slightly optimistic. "We'll meet up again at Zombrews."

There was a general, albeit glum, sound of general agreement.

Then, they all trotted wearily back to their respective homes, without further comment.

_Well, _Wyatt thought as he watched the circle disperse. _Back to the drawing board._

ZzZzZzZ

Two hours later, they were all seated back at the all-night coffee shop. The group was sitting dejectedly around the four plushy couches by the fireplace, sipping their own cappuccino mugs. Except for the wolves. They were sticking to hot chocolate this time. Actually, the only person who wasn't drinking some kind of hot beverage was Eliza, who let out a frustrated grumble as she readjusted the ice pack on her lower lip. She stared at her iced coffee as it sweated onto the giant coffee table in, in front of her crossed legs.

Each and every one of them seemed to be nursing some kind of injury. Wyatt had gotten stitches, as she had, and Zed had once again set back the healing process of his broken collarbone. Everyone else was largely fine, but all of them looked bruised and battered. Bucky had a large reddish abrasion above his right eyebrow, which he had clearly tried to hide with makeup. Mayar, Aruna and Qamar were sporting bright blue patches on their arms and faces, which Eliza was pretty sure were bruises.

Most frustratingly, Eliza was rendered temporarily unable to speak for the next several hours. By morning, she was sure that her lip would be healed enough that she would be just fine, albeit with a new scar on her face. She wasn't thrilled about that, but it could have been so much worse. Putting the ice pack down, Eliza reached out to grab her iced coffee and began to sip gingerly at it. The rest of the group continued to sit in silence.

After a moment, it was Addison who finally spoke.

"I know we're all a little...disheartened. But we can't let this get us down. We can still stop Charon."

"_How?_" Bucky asked, a little louder than necessary. "This guy has outdone us at every turn! He sabotaged the zombies outside of the gym. He gave you the world's worst migraine." He gestured pointedly back to Addison. "And then, he tricked us right into almost being blown up! By my count, that puts him way ahead of us."

"Hey," Addison countered, a bit morosely. "I did get in a few good kicks."

Zed grinned in spite of the somber tone of the conversation. "Yeah, you really did."

There was another moment of tense silence as drinks were sipped and eyes stared forward, looking at nothing in particular.

"We just need to re-think our strategy, guys." Wyatt said. "I mean, whenever the pack has had a problem to tackle in the past, we always sit down and formulate a solid plan. We explore our options, get to know the enemy so that we can better defeat them."

"Wasn't your most recent 'enemy' the people of Seabrook?" Bree asked, peering over her cappuccino mug with a slightly arched brow.

Wyatt, Willa, and Wynter all grinned.

"Yeah," he said "they were. And we did recon to learn more about them. I infiltrated the community by dressing as a Seabrook Power employee. We joined the school, so that we could learn everything we needed to know about humans and zombies, and Seabrook in general. I mean, what do we really know about Charon? Other than that he's a lunatic bent on some potentially disastrous plan involving a moonstone?"

Everyone was looking at him now, including Eliza.

He had a point. They had been spending their time focusing on the moonstone itself, rather than on the being who had it. Their goal had just been to get it from him; not to find out why he had it in the first place, or to try to understand his motivations.

"Well," Mayar started. "We know he is mine and Starlight's biological father. We know he is unstable at times, but that he loves the ideals of the 'old' Seabrook. He loves the uniformity and order, and loves looking perfect in the eyes of the humans. He wants to be like them, yet also finds them weak and inferior to himself."

Addison picked up the chain of thought from there.

"And we know that he has a moonstone, and that he thinks that he is going to use it to 'help' the community of Seabrook. We know that he's strong and fast, and also very influential with the Seabrook City Council."

"Plus, he's the one who's in charge of organizing Shore Day this year." Bucky added, looking from person to person as though he might receive some kind of praise for contributing to the conversation. Unfortunately, he only received a slight glare from Addison, who was still annoyed that Bucky had approved a cheer performance on Shore Day without her.

But the offhand comment from Bucky snagged in Eliza's head, slowing her train of thought as the others continued to talk.

Charon, or 'Charles Moon,' was in charge of Shore Day. And, though they had only the vaguest of ideas as to how or why, they knew that his goal was to help or better the community of Seabrook, in his mind, by using a moonstone. And if someone was going to do something catastrophic or dangerous with a moonstone, it would obviously do the most potential damage in a densely populated area. That much had been made obvious over fifty years ago, thanks to a simple bottle of lime soda. And, maybe not so coincidentally, Charon had managed to put himself in charge of the yearly event in which practically every citizen in Seabrook would be present.

"Thore Day." Eliza mumbled, suddenly sitting bolt upright.

"What, babe?" Willa asked, looking with slight concern towards her girlfriend.

Eliza huffed in frustration. _Stupid swollen lip!_

Reaching into her laptop bag, she quickly fished out a pen. Grabbing a napkin from the table, Eliza rapidly scribbled out her train of thought.

_He's going to do something at Shore Day._

Eliza help up the napkin, tapping the edge of it harshly for emphasis.

The group read the scrawled message, and Eliza watched with a small amount of satisfaction as each pair of eyes gradually widened with realization.

"Oh, man," Zed finally stated. "Eliza, you're a genius. How did we miss that?"

"Because we were focusing on the wrong thing." Addison sighed, looking slightly annoyed with herself at having missed something obvious. Then, she quickly turned her head to face Mayar and the Lunites, as they exchanged a silent conversation. Addison's dark brows rose up.

"Oh." She said aloud.

"I fear," Mayar said, "That my people may have played into Charon's hands."

Wyatt's head turned to face his girlfriend. "Why do you say that?"

"Because," Qamar stated, "Our elders decided this morning that the Lunites are going to reveal themselves to the rest of the citizens of Seabrook on Shore Day, when the entire community is all together at once. Which means that the entire population, including the Lunites, will all be concentrated in one place."

There was another beat of silence.

"Well, crap." Wynter finally stated.


	35. Chapter 35

Author's note: Hey everyone! I am currently struggling to decide whether to make this a stand alone fic, or to make this into a two-part series. I thought I would ask your opinions. Would you be interested in a sequel to Starlight, or would you prefer that I keep it as a single story? Let me know what you think in the comments. As always, I live for your lovely reviews, likes and follows.

Stay safe and take care of yourself, you are wonderful!

ZzZzZzZ

_Tap-Tap, Tap._

Addison smiled as she heard the gentle tapping of a finger against glass, alerting her to the fact that Zed was outside her bedroom window. Shuffling about in her bed sheets, she set down her phone and crawled out of bed, walking quietly over to the window.

"Hey," She whispered, feeling a huge smile spreading across her face as she pulled up the window to let him in. He grinned back, leaning in to plant a quick kiss to her forehead before he awkwardly climbed into the dimly lit bedroom. The fact that this was the second time he'd entered a building through a window in less than 24 hours was not lost on her, but she chose not to comment.

As Zed's green high-top sneakers touched the floor, she leaned into him. She listened to the slow heartbeat of the zombie she loved as she rested her head against his cool chest. Addison smiled again as he immediately wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey, gorgeous." He whispered back, pressing a loving kiss to the hair at the crown of her head.

They lingered at the window for a moment, silently enjoying each other's presence.

Then, Addison reached out and tugged at his hand.

"Come look at this." Addison said, pulling him towards the bed where her phone lay open on top of her pillow. Her pillowcases and sheets were festively printed with bright green and pink poms, and the blanket was printed with a gigantic mighty shrimps logo across the center of it. She plopped herself down onto the plush blanket, patting it to indicate that he should sit next to her. Zed followed her lead willingly, and was soon tucked into her side, running a hand up and down her back.

"What is it?" Zed asked, as he continued to repeat the soothing motion from her neck down to her lower back.

"I've been doing some research on Charles Moon. I thought maybe it would help us figure out what his motivations are. Plus... I was curious. I mean, he is my biological father, after all."

In her periphery, she saw Zed's mouth twist down slightly in sympathy. He was thinking about how weird that must be, being related to someone who was quickly beginning to seem like a literal super villain.

"It is weird," Addison agreed, "But, I'm trying not to focus on it too much. He's only my father by blood. My dad is my father in all of the ways that matter."

Zed nodded. He may not have been the perfect dad, but he knew that Chief Dale loved Addison.

Addison smiled as she listened to his train of thought. Then she held up her phone, showing Zed the news article she had pulled up moments before he'd tapped on the window.

"SEABROOK PHILANTHROPIST DONATES FUNDS FOR NEW CHEER PAVILLION."

The article had been written last year, and showed a photo of a very pleasant, friendly-looking Charon standing in front of the old power plant. He was holding up a giant check on one side, with a group of smiling zombie and human kids holding up the other end. Charon was still in his usual all-black suit, with his white hair neatly pulled back into a neat braid. Addison wondered at how no one had ever complained about his appearance. But she supposed that enough money could make his fashion faux-pas forgivable, even to the people of Seabrook. She began to read through the article.

"Local businessman and philanthropist Charles Moon has donated $1.5 million dollars towards the building of the new Seabrook Cheer Pavilion, which is scheduled to be built next year. Mr. Moon has made many donations towards other local causes, such as the Downtown Beautification Project and the Zombietown Barrier Artwork Initiative. He has also provided a multitude of funds to the much beloved Seabrook High Cheer Squad.

'I love the city of Seabrook, and the people in it.' Mr. Moon said during a casual interview with one of our correspondents. 'It's our job to make this town as beautiful and unified as possible. I'm just doing my part to make sure that happens.'

When asked if he had future plans to continue to assist the city and people of Seabrook, Mr. Moon smiled. 'Whatever it takes to help make Seabrook great. That's what I'll do." He said resolutely."

Addison looked up to Zed as she finished reading aloud.

His brow was lightly furrowed, and she could hear his mind trying to sort out any possible double meaning to Charon's words.

"I just... I don't get this guy." Zed said, and Addison could taste his frustration.

It was bitter with a tinge of sweetness, like an unripe persimmon. She was starting to notice the different tastes and sensations of emotions, now that she was learning how to not be overcome by them as she had those first few days. She was grateful for this, since she had cried more in the last few weeks than she had in the past several years. Addison had never been a crier. Unfortunately, that had proved much more difficult to maintain when she was dealing with other people's emotions, as well as her own.

"Me neither." She admitted, feeling frustration of her own now. "On paper, he seems like a perfectly nice guy. He's donated to all of these great causes, and provided tons of funding to the cheer squad."

She paused.

"Do you... Do you think he did that because _I'm _in cheer?" She asked, frowning slightly as she did. If this was the case, it would have been an almost sweet gesture. Though any potential good intentions he may have had were moot, now that he had caused so much mayhem and damage.

"I have no idea." Zed replied, letting his hand come to rest comfortingly in the middle of her back. "But, the guy is really all over the place. How can someone who does so many things for the city also be the type of person who tries to kill his daughters with a bomb?"

Hot anger flashed out from Zed's mind, making her flinch. He looked down at her, realizing that it was his anger that had caused her movement.

"Sorry," Zed said. "I didn't mean to get so mad. But whatever he's planning, it can't be anything good if he thinks it's worth hurting you. No good deed can make up for that in my book."

Addison sighed, tossing her phone down with a huff of frustration onto her pillow.

"I know." She replied, stifling a yawn. Suddenly, she felt tired. The weight and exhaustion seemed to finally be catching up to her after a very long and eventful day. Had she really been at cheer practice with Bucky only a few hours ago? It felt like days.

"I should let you go to sleep." Zed said, leaning over to cuddle his face into her hair.

"No," she said in an almost whining voice. "You just got here!"

He grinned, looking a little tired himself.

"Addy, we have a whole lifetime of nights to be together, remember? Plus, it's a school night. We'll see each other in the morning."

The following day was a Tuesday, the last day of school for the week. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were all vacation days, thanks to Shore Day. It was a great time of year, like a miniature summer break. Lots of early fall activities such as camping, football games, and chilled walks on the beach. Addison had been hoping to go camping with Zed and all of their friends after the fireworks display Friday evening. She would be incredibly irked if Charon ruined Zed and the others' first Shore day experience, though obviously that wasn't her biggest concern.

"That's true." She said, smiling up at him. "I can't wait until we have our own house together, Zed! We will be together 24 hours a day. You're gonna get so tired of me!"

He laughed. "Not possible, my dear. But we're both tired right now. So, I'm going to go home and get in bed. You need to do the same, Ads."

She unsuccessfully tried to hold back another yawn, and wrapped her arms around him.

"Just stay five more minutes?"

Zed sighed exaggeratedly, pretending to act put upon.

"I suppose I can be coerced into spending five more minutes with my beautiful, amazing fiance."

Addison's heart skipped a beat as she heard him refer to her as his 'fiance,' and she felt her face flushing with joy. She loved him so much.

Together, they laid back on the bed, Zed wrapping an arm gently around her waist as Addison sighed and settled herself onto her pillow. She quickly placed her phone on the night stand, and then snuggled against him, holding his hand with both of her own.

"Gar garga za, Zed." She said quietly as she relaxed into the soft mattress.

"I love you to, Ads." He whispered back.

ZzZzZzZ

Qamar sat at one of the tables in the large dining hall, where the Lunites ate all of their communal meals. He stared sternly at the surface of the table, following patterns in the wood with his fingers. Though he had had no appetite this evening, he had remained seated at his usual bench long after dinner had ended.

Their talk with the elders had not gone as well as he had hoped.

Lunites were, in general, very trusting and respectful of one another. As their thoughts were practically always out in the open at all times, there was little point in deceit or distrust. This generally meant that there were little to no disagreements between their people. However, the elders had been firmly against his, Mayar and Aruna's pleas to postpone their revelation to the people Above.

_Charon may be troublesome, but he will not risk his status or reputation by causing strife on such an important day for the citizens of Seabrook. He loves himself too much for that. _Ayla had said, giving them a patient but firm smile.

Like all of them, Elder Ayla had long, white hair, which flowed free down her back in gentle waves. Her wrinkled face was kind and affectionate, with bright, observant green eyes. Elder Badru, her partner, stood beside her, his own blue eyes mirroring her gentle and amiable expression.

_And, _Elder Ayla continued, _it is time for our people to come forward and present ourselves to the other citizens of Seabrook. We have lived silently among them for far too long. This day is the best opportunity for us to do so, young ones, and we cannot let one man's foolishness prevent us from moving forward._

"But Ayla," Mayar pleaded aloud, worry working itself into her facial expression. "He has already attacked us, and has moved against my sister and the others Above several times. He's dangerous! We don't know what he is capable of!"

"Enough, Mayar." Elder Badru said, gently resting a hand on Mayar's shoulder. "We understand that your relationship with Charon is... strained. And for good reason. And we understand that he is currently behaving rather erratically. But Ayla is right. Charon cares about his reputation with the humans more than anything. Whatever you believe he may be planning, he will not endanger his own life or his position within their society."

_I strongly disagree._ Aruna said, her normal chipper attitude overshadowed with uncharacteristic irritation. Her cheeks had flushed with frustration.

"I disagree as well, elders." Said Qamar, though he already knew that the argument was lost. He could feel their confidence in their belief that Charon was essentially harmless, and he could hear their determination to continue their plans. The conversation had already been over at that point.

Still glaring at the worn wooden surface of the table, Qamar huffed out a sigh of frustration. His life had gone from being very simple to very complex in just a few short weeks. Two weeks ago, his biggest concern had been how to fill his spare time after spending his days scouting in the tunnels. His best friends, Mayar and Aruna, were often busy doing their own jobs, and so he was frequently left with a large amount of downtime during the day.

The Lunites didn't have "formal" school hours like those Above. Their schooling happened more casually, with frequent fireside discussions with the elders and other Lunites. Plus, traditional school was rendered a little pointless when you grow up learning everything from day one. Lunite children were bright, intelligent, and quick to learn and accept new information.

That would be one good thing about their integration into Seabrook, assuming it all went well. Which was a big assumption to make. He and the other young adults in the Crater would be able to attend high school. Even if it was with humans. Qamar sighed again, feeling some guilt for his remaining prejudices against humans.

Having grown up watching and listening to how humans had treated the zombies and wolves, Qamar had never grown to be a big fan of them. But the more he associated with Starlight and the others Above, the more he was starting to think that maybe they weren't all so bad after all. Maybe they were changing. He had been shocked earlier that day to learn that Bucky, previously one of his least favorite beings, was actually a pretty decent guy. Or, at least, he would be, if not for his extreme need to be the most liked and most popular person in a ten-mile radius. Starlight's mistake had allowed them all to see a side of Bucky that Qamar was certain he had never intended to be seen by anyone.

Unintentional as it was, Bucky's "nice" side had somewhat changed Qamar's attitude towards the former cheer captain. Not to mention, Bucky had said that he was... handsome.

Qamar felt his cheeks turning a bright periwinkle blue, just thinking about Bucky's warm smile as they shook hands in the Seabrook High gymnasium. He couldn't help but smile too, as he remembered the warmth in his eyes, so dark that they almost seemed black rather than their actual deep brown. Eyes so deep that you could get lost in them.

_Wait. Ugh!_

How could he even think of a human like that! And Bucky, of all humans.

Only a few days amongst the people living Above, and everything Qamar thought he knew had been turned upside down. He was naturally inclined to be cautious and pessimistic. He had never trusted the people of Seabrook, and never believed he might ever have a desire to live amongst their society. However, meeting the zombies, wolves, and humans had forced him to realize that everything was not as black and white as he had once imagined.

And the weird part was, he didn't really mind.


	36. Chapter 36

Author's note: Hey everyone! Once again, I've been constantly busy out in the real world, and I just realized today that it's been almost two weeks since I last posted. Yikes!

If anyone reads my tumblr (which I'm fairly certain has zero followers, lmao), I will be posting pics of Coach's two cats, Blitz and Fumble. Also, I recently realized that I never actually posted Qamar's character profile, so I will try to get that uploaded there soon as well. More chapters headed your way soon!

ZzZzZzZ

Surprisingly, Tuesday ended up being a pretty average school day. Most students, and teachers for that matter, were already in vacation mode. So the majority of classes consisted of casual discussions, movies, and fairly easy busywork. Willa's literature class consisted of watching the movie Romeo and Juliet on a large television, which her teacher had rolled in on a sleek metal cart.

Though the television was new, the film itself was old, and so the video had a blurry, grainy quality to it that made it difficult to see small details. Willa watched with a somewhat bored expression as Romeo kneeled before Juliet's sleeping form, believing her to be dead.

_"Death, that hath suck'd the honey of thy breath,_

_Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty:_

_Thou art not conquer'd; beauty's ensign yet_

_Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,_

_And death's pale flag is not advanced there."_

Willa sighed, leaning over to gently nudge Eliza's foot at the desk next to her. Eliza jumped slightly, apparently absorbed in the film. She shot Willa a slight grin in the dim light, unable to offer a full smile yet due to the stitches that remained in her lower lip. The light from the television screen flickered across Eliza's face, creating a kaleidoscope of shifting colors that danced along her lovely features.

_It is the east,_ Willa thought with an affectionate smile, _and Juliet is the sun._

"What are you looking at?" Eliza whispered, lowering the pen she had been using to take notes. Only Eliza had a love for learning so strong that she took notes on a movie day.

"Nothing," Willa replied softly. "Just thinking about how beautiful you are."

Eliza snorted quietly, a light blush flushing across her cheeks..

"If you say so." She replied, rolling her eyes as Romeo continued to drone on about his love for Juliet in the background.

"I do say so." Willa replied, holding her head up with an authoritative air in her stance. "And since I'm the werewolf alpha, my word is law. So there."

Both of them snickered, earning them a withering look from the teacher at the front of the classroom.

"Yes, mam'm." Eliza replied to Willa with a small, playful salute. Good grief, she was cute.

As upset as Willa was that Eliza had been injured in yesterday's fake moonstone debacle, she was certain that the scar which would grace Eliza's lip could only enhance her beauty. It was a testament to her zombie's strength and bravery. Though of course, the fact that Charon had hurt her mate meant that he was now officially enemy number one. He thought he could threaten Willa's mate, brother, and best friends?

No. She would get him back for it, tenfold.

On the television screen, Romeo was preparing to tip back the small vial of poison, hoping to be reunited with his love in the afterlife. Willa had not grown up hearing this story as the human and zombie children had. But when she'd first read the play, she couldn't help but find the entire thing to be ridiculous. A bitter family feud and two lovesick teenagers had wrought so much tragedy and destruction. It was crazy how much damage could be done in such a short amount of time.

Willa was not a big fan of Shakespeare. In her opinion, the characters were overly dramatic, as well as being frequently stupid and reactionary. Eliza, on the other hand, had a great appreciation for the morality lessons the plays offered. She enjoyed analysing the words, and trying to interpret the myriad of possible meanings within each page. But most of all, she enjoyed arguing about the characters and their frequently tragic story arcs, much like some people might enjoy arguing about which athletic team was worse.

Eliza was, by nature, a defiant person. If she felt that something was wrong in any way, everyone nearby would be sure to hear about it. Apparently, that extended to subjects that were fictional in nature as well. Willa always looked forward to literature, simply to listen to her girlfriend's impassioned arguments with their irate teacher about whatever it was they were reading that week. It was like watching an abnormally entertaining political debate.

Willa watched as Romeo died onscreen with a ridiculously exaggerated level of melodrama.

"_O, true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus, with a kiss I die!_"

He kissed Juliet, then clutched his chest, slumping dramatically onto the ground below her.

Willa rolled her eyes as she turned back to Eliza, who's brows were dipped down as if in thought.

"What's up?"

"Nothing. Just, the movie is making me wonder. What I would do if something ever happened to you." She paused, shaking her head as though the mere thought was too horrible to even imagine. "I mean, obviously I wouldn't immediately start chugging poison. But..." She paused again, looking pained. "I can understand why it would feel like the end of the world."

Willa felt a small clench in her stomach. She understood what Eliza was saying. She, too, could not imagine living in a world without her other half in it. And she wouldn't have to. Both wolves and zombies had a much longer life expectancy than humans. With a little luck, both of them would live to a ripe old age of around one hundred. Their human counterparts, on the other hand, had an average life expectancy of only seventy-eight.

Statistics was another one of her favorite subjects.

"Look," Willa replied matter-of-factly, reaching out to gently hold Eliza's hand. "You're stuck with me for the next several decades, so you'd better get used to having me around. And I plan on keeping you around just as long. I'm talking white dresses, little zombies and wolves running around our ankles, and matching rocking chairs when we're old and wrinkly. So enough with the doom and gloom, Zambie, got it?"

Eliza released a snort of laughter, but she was smiling, and her eyes sparkled with a look of love that made Willa's breath catch in her throat. "Such a bossy wolf... But, that sounds pretty great to me, too."

They both leaned in, eyes locked on one another's in the dimness of the room.

"Ms. Zambie. Ms. Lykensen." The teacher stated flatly. "Eyes on the screen, ladies."

"Sorry, Mrs. Ganes."

Both girls readjusted their seats and looked forward, as Prince Escalus addressed a somber crowd on the television screen.

"_For never was a story of more woe,_

_Than this of Juliet, and her Romeo._"

ZzZzZzZ

Zed sighed, resting his chin in his hand as the football team sprinted down the length of the field, perfectly executing play Z-17. He may have been sidelined for the next couple of weeks, but he had still attended practically every practice to encourage his teammates. He wanted to be supportive to his friends and team, and so he tried to take a page out of Addison's book, and cheer on others rather than being cheered for himself.

"Come on, guys! Keep going, you're doing awesome!" He bellowed, clapping enthusiastically.

As he watched, Wynter tackled Clayton, sending him sprawling to the turf in a cloud of dirt clods and blades of Kentucky bluegrass. The ball flew out of his grasp, tumbling across the thirty yard line. It landed below a banner which enthusiastically stated "Inspiration Crustacean," with a dancing cartoon shrimp giving the team a double thumbs up.

Zed wondered if shrimp even had thumbs. Probably not.

When Wynter had joined the football team, it had ruffled several proverbial feathers amongst the citizens of Seabrook. Not merely because she was the first werewolf on the team; but also because she was the first girl on the team. Zed had encouraged her to join after she had painfully tackled him to the ground outside of the Zombietown movie theater, back when they had just met. With her physical strength and rough, tough wolfy attitude, she would make an excellent offensive lineman. (Linewolf?)

Coach had been hesitant at first, but he trusted Zed. Letting one monster onto the team had turned out to be one of the best coaching decisions he'd made, so he was more than happy to give her a try out. When she'd struck the tackling dummy hard enough to tear it into two pieces, Coach had immediately stood and declared that she was officially on the team.

Wynter was not one to pay much attention to negative comments, and so she had largely ignored the many comments and phone calls to the school over the following days. Zed was very proud of his teammate, and she had quickly become a great asset to the mighty shrimp. In the coming months, other monsters had followed her and Zed's lead. Now, several wolves and zombies had joined up with the football team, as well as a plethora of other sports programs at Seabrook High. These monster inclusions had made all of Seabrook's athletic programs into unstoppable forces, easily defeating practically everything rival schools could throw at them.

Coach sat down beside Zed, causing the bench to wobble with movement and abruptly pulling him out of his thoughts.

"How you doing, Zed?" Coach asked, lightly clapping a hand on Zed's uninjured shoulder.

"I'm okay, Coach." he replied, smiling pleasantly down at the man. "Just... Ready to be back out there, is all."

Zed stared a bit glumly out towards the rest of the team, as they continued to run through different plays.

"We're ready to have you." Coach nodded, watching the team along with him. "But, you'll be back at it before you know it. As long as you don't go tackling anyone else in the hallway." He added with a laugh, shaking his head.

"Boy, things sure have been crazy lately," Coach continued, his expression changing to one of mild stress. "I mean, first, there was that mysterious explosion in Zombietown. Then, some knucklehead sets up a booby trap outside the gym. I just don't understand the world sometimes, Zed. Not to mention, my fro-yo business is picking up so much, I'm gonna have to hire part-time help to run the second cart!"

Zed's head perked up at that. He needed a job. Especially now that his dad had loaned him the money to pay off Addison's ring. He knew his dad didn't have a lot of savings, and he wanted to pay him back as soon as possible.

"You're looking for part-time help?" Zed asked, trying not to sound too overly enthusiastic.

"Yup," Coach nodded, brows dipping down. "My Great-Aunt Edna says I'm not spending enough time with the cats. She's worried that Blitz and Fumble are going to get a complex."

Zed smiled at the names Coach had given the two kittens, which the team had gifted him with at the end of last football season. The two felines had been a housewarming gift for his new house. Coach had finally moved out of his parents' basement, and now rented a duplex from his aunt, who lived in the other side as his next-door neighbor. Since the coach maintained a nearly constant verbal stream of consciousness, Zed and the rest of the team knew way more about his personal life than they were really comfortable with.

"Um, Coach? I'm actually looking for a part-time job." Zed interjected, as Coach continued to talk about the emotional status of his two cats. "Do you think... I mean, would you be interested in hiring me?"

Coach paused in is monologue, giving Zed a surprised look. Then he shot him a grin.

"You know what? That could be perfect! As long as you having a job wouldn't interfere with your work on the football team, that is."

Zed shook his head.

"No sir, I promise it won't!"

"Then Zed, I believe you have yourself a job! We'll talk details once you get that brace off in a couple of weeks." The coach nodded, looking pleased with the turn the conversation had taken.

"That sounds perfect, Coach!"

The coach extended his hand, which Zed shook enthusiastically.

"Well, I'd better get back to it." The coach said, standing as he blew his whistle. In a booming voice, Coach directed the team to begin running sprints up and down the length of the field. Zed was still smiling broadly.

His first job! He couldn't wait to tell Addy.

Zed's smile diminished slightly, as he remembered that he wouldn't be seeing Addison this evening. At lunch, she and Bree had declared tonight a "girls night," insisting that they needed an evening off from strategizing. Eliza had agreed, and Wynter and Willa had promised to invite Mayar and Aruna to come along. Bree's parents were out of town until Thursday, so they would all be having a sleepover at her house, doing... Well. Whatever it was that girls did at sleepovers. Knowing the wolves, it would probably involve manicures.

Maybe Zed would be able to convince some of the guys to meet up and have a "guy's night." They could go to the bowling alley, eat junk food and have guy talk. He couldn't remember the last time they'd done anything like that. It could be fun, and he'd get to tell them about his new job! Plus, it would be good for morale to have a night off from their current drama with Charon. Honestly, he got mad just thinking about the jerk.

Zed stood as he heard the school bell ring in the distance, signaling the end of fifth period. Resolved, he decided to catch Bonzo and Wyatt before science class to see what they thought about his "guy's night" plan. Suddenly, he was looking forward to this evening.

Hanging out with Addison would always be his first choice, but being around their friends was the next best thing.


	37. Chapter 37

Addison grinned as she pulled into the expansive driveway, listening to the collective gasps of the wolves and Lunites as they saw Bree's house for the first time. She and Eliza had both been there before multiple times, and so it was not as impressive to them as it had been originally.

The house was massive. A perfect Seabrook home on steroids, the home was sleek and modern; with deep gray brick and bright pink accent walls adorning the boxy modern exterior. It was similar to in design, but far more than quadruple the size of Addison's family home. Perfectly landscaped rose bushes lined the front of a large covered porch, which wrapped around to the back of the house. In the spring, the entire yard would become nearly overwhelming with the scent of pink heirloom roses.

Bree's mom had inherited a ridiculous amount of money when her parents had died when she was a teenager. However, she enjoyed helping people and was a hard worker by nature, whether or not she needed the funds to live. Thus, she had worked at City Hall for her entire adult life, and was well known and well loved by many for her bubbly personality and strong work ethic.

Bree's dad, on the other hand, was a pediatrician to the stars. He spent his time traveling around the country and the world to care for the children of the rich and famous. One of his patients even included the daughter of Diamond Wilson, Seabrook native and creator of The Wave. Bree had even gotten to meet her in person when she was younger. Her dad was a sweet-natured and jovial man, and his friendly bedside manner and gentle personality had led to great success in his career.

Simply put, Bree's family was loaded.

"Holy Moonstone." Wynter mumbled, as Aruna pressed her face to the window, smiling broadly as she excitedly took in the lovely house and landscaping. Opening the car door, Addison, Mayar, Aruna, Eliza, Willa and Wynter all tumbled out of the overstuffed smart car. She was pretty sure that the car was only supposed to hold four or five people, but they'd made it work. Mayar and Aruna were practically buzzing with anticipation as the group walked together towards the front door.

Sleepovers were not something that was done in Lunite culture. In addition to this, their culture did not draw the same social lines between males and females as humans and zombies did. Therefore, the concept of a "girls night" was also unknown to them.

Zed had asked Wyatt to invite Qamar to their boy's night out, however, so the male Lunite wouldn't be excluded from the fun. Addison wondered what they would be doing. She knew that Zed, Bonzo often went to the bowling alley in Zombietown, so that was her best guess.

Bree opened the door as they were climbing the front steps, jumping up and down in her excitement. "Hey guys!" Bree squealed, pulling Addison in for a quick hug as they entered , and Addison was enveloped in her friend's love and joy at their arrival. Bree was such a sweet, sincere person. She was lucky to have her as a best friend.

They all walked into the large foyer, which featured a sleek, modern chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Two metal and wood sets of stairs that led up to the second floor on both sides.

"Whoa." Willa said, looking up at the impressive chandelier. "Nice digs, Bree."

Bree blushed, not replying to the complement. She preferred not to talk about her family's economic status. Bree had learned at a young age that this was the best way to get fake friends, who just wanted to be around her for her money. Thus, she never brought it up, and resolved to be herself and treat others with equality and kindness. She may not have gained popularity this way, but the friends she did have were true and real, and loved her for who she was.

"Let's order pizza!" Addison declared, purposely steering the conversation away from Bree's house. Her best friend shot her a grateful glance as the rest of the group replied with enthusiasm.

"Ohhh, yes!" Wynter nodded, dropping her bag roughly to the spotless tile floor. "We definitely need a meat lover's. Probably three, actually."

"And don't forget to order the undead special." Eliza commented, striding over to lie her own bag against a minimalist wooden bench along the wall as she looked to the Lunites. "What kind of pizza do you guys want?"

"Um..." Aruna said, looking doubtfully to Mayar, who shrugged. "We've never had pizza."

"Oh, right." Eliza nodded thoughtfully. "Well... Actually, I guess I don't actually know what you guys eat...?"

"Well," Mayar said, "Mushrooms and root vegetables make up a large part of our diets. Do they have anything like that?"

Addison grinned. "Mushroom pizza it is." She said, tapping the screen on the phone to call in the rather unusual variety of pizzas. As she spoke with the restaurant on the phone, the rest of the girls wandered into the back of the house, where there was a large entertainment room. Addison quickly completed the delivery order, providing them with Bree's address and pressing the button to end the call. Setting down her own bag, a Mighty Shrimps duffel, of course, she strode back into the entertainment room. In her absence everyone had quickly made themselves at home.

The room was a wide open space, with a home theater in a smaller side room off of the main space. A pool table sat mostly unused in the far corner, and the central space was a cozy collection of comfortable couches and recliners, with a large television adorning the wall. Of course, Mayar and Aruna both chose to sit on the floor. Lunites weren't big on furniture, from what Addison had been able to observe in her brief time knowing them.

Addison sat down at one end of a plushy tan couch, next to where her sister sat on the floor, reaching out to grasp her hand. She was growing used to the touchy-feely nature of the Lunites, even if it still struck her as a bit odd at times.

_Are you going to tell them? _Mayar asked, pointedly rubbing her thumb against the sapphire ring.

Addison jumped slightly, though it shouldn't have surprised her that Mayar knew. There were virtually no secrets amongst a people who could hear thoughts. Addison felt her cheeks warm slightly, hoping that the rest of the group would be too busy conversing to notice.

_I... Don't know._ Addison admitted. _I don't know why I haven't said anything already. I'm so happy to be engaged. But I guess I'm worried that people will be judgemental because of how young we are. I mean, we're still seniors in high school._

Mayar smiled, offering her hand a squeeze of encouragement. _Perhaps with some couples, that would be a concern. But you and Zed are soulmates. _

She paused. _That's why you can hear him, you know._

Addison felt her brows rise up. No, she hadn't technically known. She should have been surprised, but honestly, Mayar was just saying what she had already figured out, deep down.

_But, what if they aren't happy for us?_ Addison asked. _What if they're disappointed or something?_

_Then that is just another challenge that you will both face as a couple, _Mayar replied matter-of-factly. _And you will get through it together. But I highly doubt that their reaction will be negative. They are good people. We Lunites are great judges of character, you know._

Mayar winked.

Addison huffed out a short, quiet laugh, and nodded her head.

_You're right. _She replied. _I trust my friends._

With that, Addison turned to the rest of the group.

"Hey guys?" Addison announced. "I have something to tell you."

ZzZzZzZ

Bucky slurped noisily at his drink, using the straw to shift around the ice at the bottom in hopes of finding more soda. He was going to have to get a refill. Standing with a annoyed sigh, he walked briefly away from the rest of the guys to re-fill his cup at the drink station. The bowling alley was dimly lit, and he had to squint to read the faded labels on the machine.

Earlier today, Bucky had been completely surprised when Zed had approached him, asking if he wanted to join him and "the guys" for a night at the bowling alley in Zombietown. Bucky had been even more surprised when he'd said yes. If the Aceys had been with him, of course he wouldn't have agreed.

But Zed had caught him alone in the hall. Bucky had eyed him with as bored expression, not wanting to appear too eager. He tapped his fingers impatiently against a nearby locker, as though the mere question was an inconvenience to him.

"Look," Zed said, arching an eyebrow as he stared down at him. "If you don't want to, it's fine. I just figured—"

"No no." Bucky interrupted, holding up a hand to halt the zombie from speaking. "I'd be glad to come. I'm a pretty amazing bowler, you know. I can probably teach you some tricks."

Zed looked as though he were biting back a grin, but gave Bucky a quick nod.

"Okay, then. See you there at seven." Zed turned on his heel and walked away.

Bucky stood still for a moment in the hall, slightly shocked at the short conversation that had just taken place. He had never hung out with Addison's friends without his cousin being there before. And he'd _certainly _never entertained the idea that any of them would actually want him around without Addison to act as a buffer. In fact, before this moment, Bucky had been suspicious that they didn't actually like him very much. Which was crazy, because _everyone_ liked him.

The thing was, while he'd die before ever telling them, he actually really enjoyed spending time with Addison's assorted group of friends. They were... nice. Authentic. Like he wanted to be.

He liked them. And, maybe, a very small part of him wanted them to like him, too.

They had just started their second game at the bowling alley. He watched as Bonzo deftly rolled the lime green bowling ball down the center of the lane. It curved in a graceful arc before slamming into the pins, dropping them all in a perfect strike. Bucky had thought he was decent at bowling, until he watched Zed and Bonzo in action. Even with the brace on his left shoulder, Zed had scored higher than Bucky in the first game. The two zombies could probably be professionals, if they'd wanted. But apparently, it was purely recreational for them, and they'd been coming here since they were little.

Wyatt, in contrast, had found bowling a bit difficult. His claws kept causing the ball to slip right out of his hands and fly wildly into the gutter. Or into the lane next to theirs. It had taken all of Bucky's tact and inner strength not to bust out laughing. Okay, maybe he'd laughed a little. He had received a several glares from the wolf in return. By the end of the first game, though, Wyatt was finally beginning to get the hang of it.

Qamar, in contrast, had chosen to sit out the first game, wanting to watch and learn first before attempting it himself. He was dressed in human clothes tonight, apparently deciding that a low profile might be a good idea after the incident at Building Z. The Lunite was wearing plain denim slacks and a royal blue t-shirt, and had bound his hair up into an attractive bun atop his head. Aside from his white hair, and the fact that he had shown up not wearing any shoes, he nearly passed for a regular looking human. Though he'd been a bit disgruntled to learn that bowling shoes were required in order to play.

Bucky had found himself glancing repeatedly at the white haired man throughout the evening, though they hadn't spoken once. Of course, it wasn't hard to tell that Qamar absolutely loathed him. If Bucky didn't know better, he would almost have thought that he was developing a crush on the guy. Which was impossible, because he wasn't even human. Not to mention, he had made an absolute jerk out of himself the first night they'd met, even purposely mispronouncing his name. With the mess Bucky had made of their brief interaction, there was no way he would ever be interested in Bucky, even if he wanted him to be.

Which, of course, he didn't.

Still, Bucky couldn't help but lament the fact that he was so terrible at being polite. It wasn't easy maintaining his reputation. But Bucky was beginning to feel that maybe popularity wasn't everything he'd grown up believing it to be. He felt more comfortable now, surrounded by an assortment of monsters, than he'd ever felt amongst the Aceys and other high school elites.

Bucky watched Qamar now as he stood, shuffling his feet uncomfortably has he made his way to the line. It was kind of endearing, and Bucky smiled softly for a short second. Then, realizing what he was doing, he quickly rearranged his facial features into one of casual coolness.

Mimicking the stance of the others, Qamar shifted his weight onto one leg and rotated his arm back to build up momentum. Then, so quick it was difficult to see, Bucky watched as the ball shot down the lane so fast that it never actually touched the wood. The ball slammed into the pins, busting three of them to bits and rocketing back through the ball return and into the wall behind it. Dust and fragments of broken bowling pins ricocheted out and into the surrounding lanes, causing several eyes to turn towards their group.

Unaccustomed to the slick soles of his bowling shoes, Qamar lost his footing with the momentum of the swing. His legs slipped almost comically out from under him, and he landed with a painful-sounding thud, flat on his back.

_Oh, poms!_

Before he realized what he was doing, Bucky was on his feet and running to Qamar's side on the slick polished floor. He wanted to ensure that his favorite alien was okay. _Wait, What? _As he approached the supine Lunite, he wondered, perhaps for the hundredth time that week, if the great Bucky Buchanan had lost his mind.


	38. Chapter 38

Author's Note: Hey everyone, hope you are all doing well and are happy to see an update! As always, I love seeing your reviews. In this chapter, Qamar makes a discovery, and Addison finally tells the girls about her and Zed's engagement!

ZzZzZzZ

Qamar groaned as he laid there on the treacherously slick floor, staring up at the ceiling. Stupid footwear! In his peripheral vision, he could see the plume of dust and plaster that emanated from the back of the bowling alley, where his disastrous throw had pummeled the equipment and the wall. Several strands of hair had come loose from the tight knot atop his head, and were partially obscuring his vision. He blew a puff of air upward, attempting to clear some of the hair from his face.

Immediately, he heard Bucky's brain snap into action as he watched Qamar tumble to the ground.

_Oh, poms! _He gasped inwardly. _I have to make sure my favorite alien is okay! _Then, as he realized what he'd just said to himself, _Wait, _what?_ Am I losing my mind?_

Of course, Qamar had been listening to Bucky's rather loud thoughts the entire evening. They ran the gamut between being paranoid that someone would see him bowling with a group of monsters, and being secretly pleased that he'd ben included in the guy's night. In between these two opposing trains of thought, he'd also been sneaking several glances at Qamar when he wasn't actively bowling. He could see the images of himself in Bucky's mind, sitting and pretending to watch the others play while he was bombarded with Bucky's inner monologue. Qamar had tried to ignore him, but he could hear him so clearly in comparison to everyone else in the bowling alley, that it had become distracting.

Actually, Qamar hadn't really consciously noted that fact until this moment. He felt his eyes widen as he considered it, and as Bucky and the others' steps pounded towards him. He could hear Bucky_ so _clearly. Clearer than anyone else in the surrounding area... Clearer, in fact, than anyone he'd ever met, including his parents and his best friends. Which meant...

_Oh no. NO._

"Qamar, are you okay?" Bucky yelped. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Qamar blinked as three fingers were thrust directly in front of his face. Bucky was radiating a nearly frantic concern, as he began to mentally check him over for signs of injuries. Behind him, Zed, Bonzo and Wyatt were approaching, less frantic but still worried that he had been stunned by the fall.

But it wasn't the fall that had immobilized him, having only knocked the breath out of him. Rather, he was stunned into inaction by the dramatic realization he had just made. Qamar knew that his people had a particularly clear and special connection with their soulmates. He had seen it with his parents. And, more recently, he had seen it with his best friend Mayar and her new mate, Wyatt.

He, Mayar and Aruna had discussed it one night, sitting together amongst the pile of pillows in Mayar's room. She had admitted to them that yes, she was certain Wyatt was her soulmate, though he was not yet aware of it. The connection they had together was new, but it was irrefutable. Although, she hadn't exactly explained that fact to Wyatt. There were some things about Lunites that Wyatt didn't yet know, and she was worried about what these facts might change for him. Never-the-less, soulmates they were, despite being a different species.

So Qamar knew that it wasn't a phenomenon which happened strictly between Lunites. But... With a human? And not just any human, but Bucky. The most shallow, self-absorbed human in the world.

Except that he wasn't. Not the Bucky on the inside. The one who risked his life to protect rogue zombies. The one who was protective and caring of his cousin, Starlight. The one who was willing to put himself in peril in order to help an assorted group of monsters, and the community of Seabrook. The one who was making more and more appearances, lately, it seemed. Was it possible that his prejudices against humans were simply not allowing him to give Bucky a chance to show that he was good?

"Qamar, buddy, are you in there?" Bucky was asking, going through a list of possible injuries in his head. He was still holding the three fingers in front of Qamar's face. Being a cheerleader, Bucky was no stranger to minor injuries, and was trained in CPR and first aid. Apparently. At his back, Zed and the others were gathering in to peer down at Qamar as well.

_Oh, jeez, what if he has a concussion? _Bucky was wondering worriedly._ Do I need to do mouth to mouth?_

"Three!" Qamar yelped, quickly pushing Bucky's raised fingers out of his face as he rapidly moved to sit up. He was acutely aware of the smooth warmth of Bucky's hand as he did so. Around him, Bonzo, Zed and Wyatt were all peering down with matching expressions of concern and bewilderment. He could hear the questions before they could even ask them aloud.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just got the air knocked out of me." Qamar gasped.

Boy, had he ever.

Bucky had backed away, giving him some space, and was walking back to retrieve the soft drink he'd left sitting on the floor.

"Dude, are you sure?" Zed asked. "That was a crazy fall. Epic throw, though," He said as an afterthought. "Have you ever thought about playing football, Qamar?"

"What?" Qamar warbled, as he heard the approaching brain of a concerned bowling alley employee.

The zombie, a middle-aged man named Enzo, reached the small group of young men. Groaning, he put a hand on his head and ran it through a thinning head full of hair. Qamar took a moment to be glad that particular symptom of aging didn't happen to Lunites. Enzo stared at Zed, looking dissapointed.

"Really guys? Zed, Bonzo, this is the third time this year!" He sighed, and Qamar followed his gaze down the lane to the back wall. He winced as he saw the damage he had inflicted. Oops.

"I know, Enzo, I'm really sorry," Zed started, "It may take me a bit, but I promise I'll cover the costs to fix it-"

"I'm so sorry, Sir," Qamar interjected, not wanting Zed to be blamed for his own mistake. "It was entirely my fault. I'd be happy to pay..." Qamar paused. How, exactly, did he expect to pay for the repairs? The Lunites were a non-monetary society. Perhaps he could barter food or services? "I'd be happy to work to repair the damages myself, sir."

"I can pay for the damages." Bucky interjected. The expression on his face indicated that he couldn't belive he'd actually said that aloud. Wyatt and Bonzo looked similarly taken aback, and Qamar resisted the urge to smile. There was that "nice" Bucky, making another quick appearance.

"Uh, I appreciate the offers, guys," Enzo said, "but we're ensured. I mean, this kinda thing happens all the time. Zombie strengeth and all, ya know." He chuckled. Then, for the first time, he seemed to actually really look at Qamar. He could hear Enzo mentally taking in his snowy white hair and inhumanly blue eyes.

"Ah, if you don't mind me asking, kid, what are you exactly? I mean, obviously you aren't a zombie, but..." _But you aren't human, either. _He finished mentally.

Qamar arched an eyebrow.

"I'm an alien, actually." Qamar deadpanned, too distracted with his current inner crisis to bother with tactfulness. What did it matter, anyway? In three days, the Lunites would be revealing themselves to the people above.

Behind him, he heard Bucky cough as he spat out the large gulp of soda he had been drinking.

Qamar grinned.

"...Ahh." Enzo said, unable to think of a single reply.

"Um, sorry again, Enzo," Zed said, still trying to do damage control. "We were just getting ready to finish up our game and leave, anyway."

"That might be for the best, for today." Enzo said, glancing nervously at the manager's office in the corner. Zed and Bonzo nodded in agreement.

Qamar felt a sting of guilt as he watched the other four males begin to gather their personal items and untie those wretched shoes. He hadn't meant to ruin their fun. In fact, while he hated to admit it even to himself, he had actually been having a pretty good time. Initially, he had only come along to appease Aruna and Mayar. These new friendships in the above were important to them. However, he was starting to realize that he was actually enjoying having more friends, as well. Current inner turmoil aside, of course. The corners of his mouth pitched down into a light frown as he untied the evil, awful shoes.

"Hey," Zed said behind him, gently clapping a hand to Qamar's arm before grabbing up his green hightops. "It's no big deal, really. Bonzo and I get kicked out of here five times a year."

Qamar arched an eyebrow doubtfully. "...Seriously?"

Zed shrugged. "What can I say, we don't know our own strength." Both he and Qamar released a short chuckle. "Anyways, we can always go to Zombrews or something. We've got plenty of time."

Qamar nodded, grinning in spite of himself. It made him feel better to know that they weren't cross with him for his unfortunate bowling skills. And that they still wanted him to hang out with them.

"Actually, gentlemen." Wyatt cut in. "I think I know the perfect place to go." He looked slightly mischievous as he completed the re-lacing of his leather moccasins.

Bonzo, Zed, Qamar and Bucky all turned to face him.

"Where?" Bonzo asked, retying his own worn maroon boots.

Wyatt's grin broadened, and the dim bowling alley lights reflected sharply off of his fangs.

"Have you guys ever been to the Old Seabrook Cemetery?"

To his side, he heard Bucky audibly whimper. Qamar grinned again.

ZzZzZzZ

"Hey guys," Addison said, her voice cutting into the mingled conversations around her. "I have something to tell you."

Everyone turned to face her, looking expectantly. Addison's heart was pounding in her chest, and she was instantly full of nerves. Suddenly, she was unable to articulate what she wanted to communicate to them. Instead, she quietly help up her left hand, facing outward so that the oval aquamarine stone was visible.

There was a long beat of silence as her friends took in the ring, and a general buzzing in her head of growing excitement as each person realized the significance of the rose gold band on her finger.

"Oh my gosh!" Bree gasped, breaking the silence with a gleeful squeal. "Oh, Addy! Zed proposed!?" She instantly stood from her seat, hands waving happily in her enthusiasm. She jumped up and down with excitement as she rushed to hug Addison. Next to her, Willa and Wynter were grinning broadly, flashing their fangs as thy did so. The Lunites were smiling serenely, obviously not surprised but still looking pleased.

"I knew it!" Eliza shouted, pumping a fist victoriously into the air. "I knew Zed was acting weird the other day! I can't believe he finally popped the question. He's been talking about that ring for ages."

"Really?" Asked Addison, blushing lightly. The knot that hat settled in her stomach was beginning to loosen. Now that she was seeing their positive reactions, she was beginning to wonder why she'd been so worried about it in the first place. Of course their friends were happy for her and Zed. They loved them. They accepted them, and wanted their happiness. Like any true friend would.

"Well, you've definitely got plenty of bridesmaids to choose from," Bree stated, gesturing around the group. "Oh, maybe Bonzo could design the dresses!"

"Oh, wow, that would be amazing!" Addison said sincerely. In all honesty, she hadn't really put any thought yet into those kinds of details. But if this year's uniforms were any indication, Bonzo's dress design skills were probably pretty epic.

"Have you picked a date, yet?" Willa asked, still grinning as her hand slipped absentmindedly into Eliza's.

"Oh, gosh, no." Addison quickly replied. "We haven't even talked about any details yet. I mean, obviously we'll be waiting until after we graduate, so, maybe next summer? I don't know. I've just kind of been enjoying being engaged... And being nervous about telling you guys." She admitted a bit shyly.

"Oh, Ads," Bree said, brows dipping down. "Why in the world would you be nervous about telling us something so amazing?"

"I don't know, I just... I know that we're going to experience a lot of prejudice, even more than we do now." Addison said, frowning as she considered it. "Honestly, I don't even know if zombies and humans are allowed to get married, legally speaking." Addison was momentarily sidetracked by this thought, and made a mental note to do some research on that matter.

"But the thing is," she continued, "I really couldn't care less what the rest of the town thinks. Or even what my parents think, really. The only people who's opinions matter to me are our friends. I love you guys. You all mean the world to me."

Several 'aww's resounded amongst the small group of girls. Even Eliza felt unexpectedly touched. The remaining worry and nerves were now falling away from Addison's heart completely, replaced with the joy, love and support radiating from her friends. Addison smiled.

_You are so fortunate to have such lovely friends, Starlight._ Aruna said offhandedly, briefly touching Addison's ankle to better communicate.

_Yeah, I really am. _Addison said. She paused for a second. _You know, they're your friends, too. You guys are part of the group, now._

Mayar and Aruna grinned, and they were both feeling almost... hopeful?

"Care to fill the rest of us in on the conversation?" Wynter said, sounding both annoyed and amused. It was so easy to forget that everyone couldn't hear each other the same way she and the Lunites could.

"Sorry," Mayar said with a short laugh. "We were just discussing how lucky Starlight is to have such a lovely group of friends."

"Yeah, well, welcome to the family." Eliza said, sounding somehow both sarcastic and sincere at the same time. "It's a little weird and dysfunctional, but we're happy to have more weirdos to add into the mix."

Addison watched as Mayar ans Aruna smiled. They were sincerely happy and excited to be counted amongst the group of unique friends. She squeezed Mayar's hand again. Addison was glad that the Lunites would soon be joining the rest of the Seabrook community. Their added culture, traditions, and influences would create an even greater sense of diversity and inclusion in the community. The more they could set aside differences and enjoy the uniqueness of each different being, the greater and more unified the City of Seabrook would become.

Everyone deserved the opportunity to have friends like hers.

Suddenly, the long, dramatic chime of a very loud doorbell resounded through Bree's house.

"Alright everyone!" Eliza said with a good-natured roll of her eyes. "Enough mushy stuff. Lets eat some pizza!"


	39. Chapter 39

Author's note: Hey lovely people! I hope you had a good week, and that this update helps kickstart another good week for you. I know the last few chapters, and this one, have been more fluff and less drama, and I hope you haven't minded. More exciting chapters are coming up soon, I promise! As always, please like, follow, and leave a review. You are all awesome!

ZzZzZzZ

Mayar smiled as she wiggled her freshly manicured hands, watching as the pink and silver polish glittered in the lights of the large game room. She had never used nail polish before, having considered it a bit frivolous. And maybe it was. But, perhaps a little frivolity on occasion wasn't such a bad thing. The other girls certainly seemed to be enjoying it. Wynter had selected a deep, shimmering purple, with something called "almond" tips. Starlight had chosen a delicate shade of peach. Eliza had chosen a bold, glittery maroon, specifically to coordinate with the denim jacket she had recently dyed and upcycled for the cooler weather.

It was after dark now, and the pizza had long since been devoured. Mayar was surprised by how much she and Aruna had enjoyed mushroom pizza. Maybe she would try making it at home, the next time she got kitchen duty in the Crater. She was pretty sure everyone would like it. As she thought this, Aruna looked up from her own nails as Wynter applied the final coat of polish, nodding in agreement.

Mayar had been slightly taken aback at how much she and Aruna were enjoying the concept of having a girl's night. It seemed such a strange thing to do, separating individuals by gender. But apparently, this phenomena was commonplace in the Above. And admittedly, it was fun to spend time with the other females. Though she missed her friend Qamar.

_I wonder if he's having fun with the other males._ Aruna said offhandedly, watching as Willa applied a second coat of shiny lilac nail polish to her left hand.

_Why wouldn't he be? _Mayar grinned. _He's getting to spend some quality time with his favorite person. _An image of a very uninhibited Bucky shaking hands with Qamar flashed in her head, and she and Aruna giggled quietly. Willa looked up at Aruna with a slightly quizzical expression, but was distracted by her conversation with Wynter and Bree about camping on the beach after the Shore Day Festival.

_You have to admit, though, _Mayar continued. _They would look cute together. _

She pictured her friend Qamar with Bucky in a hypothetical future she could easily imagine for them. An actual, genuine smile on her friend's face, as he held hands with the former cheer captain. They walked along the nearby beach that none of the Lunites had ever yet been to, laughing together as they went. Aruna smiled at the picture Mayar showed her.

_It certainly would be different to see him in a good mood all the time. _Aruna replied, lifting up her completed left hand to admire as Willa began to work on the other side. _Watch, they'll end up being soulmates or something, like you and Wyatt. Can you imagine? _She laughed out loud at this.

_If that happened, Qamar would totally freak! _Mayar said, unable to prevent herself from laughing along.

The other girls were growing used to the fact that the Lunites could silently communicate to one another, and several of them shot the two grins.

"What's so funny?" Eliza asked, as she applied a layer of neon lime green to her own toenails.

"Oh," Aruna said. "We were just talking about dating. Well, about soulmates, actually."

"Wow," Eliza said. "That's a pretty heavy subject." She paused in the act of painting her little toe to look up at Aruna.

"Well, we Lunites mate for life. Kind of like you guys. "Mayar said, nodding towards Wynter and Willa. "We don't really date casually. We find our person, and that's pretty much it for us." She could feel herself blush lightly as she thought of Wyatt's sweet smile and warm brown eyes. She was keenly aware that she needed to discuss these things with him. While she knew that wolves also chose one mate for life, she also knew that there were still conversations that needed to be had with her partner. He didn't know everything that there was to know about Lunites.

"Mayar," Willa said, cutting into her thoughts with a tone that was both casual and concerned. "Is it... I mean, with you and my brother. Is it like that for you guys?" The tone may have been conversational, but Mayar could feel the deep sense of worry and protectiveness that Willa felt for her younger brother. For lack of a better word, she wanted to know what Mayar's intentions were with her brother. She was asking if Mayar loved Wyatt.

"Well," Mayar said, knowing that her face was now a bright periwinkle. "I... Wyatt is my mate. I love him." She smiled at saying the words aloud. "But he and I haven't actually said the words to each other yet. I don't want to overwhelm him by moving too fast. I know that like us, wolves mate for life. But, it's a little different for Lunites. We don't choose our mates, like wolves do. When we meet them, or when the time is right, we just _know._ There's no choice to be made; fate makes it for us. He is the one for me. The _only _one."

The room was quiet now, everyone having now turned their full attention to Mayar, which only made her more self-conscious. Willa was thinking this information through, but to Mayar's slight surprise, she was grinning softly.

"I know you're probably nervous about talking to him about this stuff," Willa said. "But I'm telling you, you have nothing to worry about. I've never seen my brother like this before. He may not have said the words to you, but I'm telling you, that pup is in love."

The other girls nodded encouragingly.

"She's so right, Mayar." Starlight said, gently tapping her foot against Mayar's leg to draw her attention. "That werewolf is crazy about you."

"Thank you, guys." Mayar said, feeling slightly better. "But there is still something that Wyatt doesn't know about me, about Lunites, and I'm worried that it will hurt him when he finds out."

"What's that?" Willa asked, once again radiating a deep concern for her brother.

"Our lifespan." Aruna cut in, hoping to take some of the conversational burden off of Mayar. "It is much shorter than that of wolves or zombies, or even humans. Wyatt will live to see 100 years. But a Lunite life cycle is only around 50 years. He will outlive her by decades, and Mayar is worried that this will cause Wyatt pain. That's why she hasn't yet spoken to Wyatt about the fact that he is her soulmate."

The room was silent as everyone absorbed this information. She felt the shock and, unexpectedly, a deep sadness from all of the beings in the room. They were sad to know that they would outlive her and the other Lunites by so long. They didn't like it. This was weirdly comforting to her, in a way. It was nice to know that these friends, though new, liked her and the others enough to feel grieved by such information. Until she had met Wyatt in person, her lifespan had never really been something she gave much thought to. It was a normal part of existence ; not something to dread. Over the last couple of days, though, it was becoming a bigger and bigger source of worry.

"Hey," Willa said, snapping Mayar out of her unpleasant reverie. "Look, love isn't all about sunshine and rainbows, but..." She shot a deeply affectionate glance towards Eliza, who had also turned to look at the packleader. "It's worth all of it. Having a partner who loves and supports you is worth all of the heartache that comes along with a relationship. Wyatt knows that, and I am absolutely sure that together, you guys can make it work, no matter what ups and downs you go through."

Willa gifted Mayar with an uncharacteristically kind smile. "He's tough. He'll get through this, and so will you, as long as you do it together. The important part is to be honest with him."

Mayar felt oddly uplifted by the thoughts of Willa and the others in the room. Their hopefulness and their belief in the power of love made her feel stronger, braver. Willa was right. Wyatt was her partner, and she needed to be completely honest and open with him. He cared for her, and he was a good person, inside and out. Surely, he would accept her as she was, shorter lifespan and all.

"Thank you, all of you." Mayar said, looking gratefully from person to person. "I am so glad to count you all as friends."

_Yes, _she thought to no one in particular. _I definitely like having a "girl's night."_

ZzZzZzZ

Wyatt carefully opened the large, wrought-iron gate, which groaned in protest as it scraped against the gravel and leaves on the ground below. A breeze was blowing through the trees, mimicking the sounds of quiet whispering. Normally, it would be quite dark in this part of the forest, but the moon was nearly full as it illuminated the graveyard in a pale blue light. He thought of Mayar, and decided that he would have to bring her here on a walk some night. She would appreciate the view.

He could hear the others behind him, following as Wyatt led them up the steep incline through the weathered headstones. Once they entered the gates, they had all grown silent, though they had been keeping up a lighthearted stream of conversation up until this point. Almost as though they were concerned that they might disturb the residents of the old cemetery. Wyatt had never given it much thought. He and the other wolves his age often came here, to sit at the top of the hill and enjoy the scenery.

The graveyard, which sat atop a large hill, had not been used or frequented by the people of Seabrook since well before the zombie outbreak over fifty years ago. There was a new, modern cemetery closer to town, where the more recent residents of the city were laid to rest. This cemetery, on the other hand, was much older. Its occupants were the original settlers of Seabrook. The ones who had fought the wolves and stolen the moonstone, and who had built up the community that now thrived below them.

The stones they passed were faded, some so eroded that the names and dates were no longer discernible. He heard Zed and Bonzo behind him, starting up a whispered conversation in hushed zombie tongue. His zombie tongue wasn't great, but he was pretty sure that Zed was reassuring Bonzo that ghosts did not, in fact, exist. Wyatt wasn't entirely sure he agreed.

Finally, they approached the top of the hill, where the main part of the cemetery rested. And below them, lights twinkling like little stars, was Seabrook. The group gathered at the crest of the hill, gasping as they took in the amazing view of their town.

"Woah," said Zed, his mouth popping open as he surveyed the city below. "This is... incredible. How did you find this place, Wyatt?"

Wyatt shrugged. "We hang out here sometimes. Wolves have been coming here for decades, actually. It's a great view, especially at night, and no humans ever come up here. This graveyard is abandoned."

"How old is this cemetery?" Bucky asked, glancing around him at the faded stones. He was squinting to read one that stood nearby, tall and grey and leaning to one side as it settled into the soil. Qamar stood to his left, looking at Bucky with a quizzical expression.

"It's the oldest around." Wyatt said. "You're looking at the original human settlers of Seabrook." He looked at Bucky, Zed, and Bonzo. "Actually, you guys might even have ancestors buried here."

But Bucky didn't seem to have heard his reply. He had kneeled in front of the stone now, reaching out to brush his fingers along the name engraved there.

"No way." He exhaled in disbelief.

Brows now dipped downward in confusion, Wyatt, Bonzo, Zed and Qamar all moved to stand behind Bucky, trying to see the name etched into the stone. At first, Wyatt couldn't make out the words. Then, Bucky scraped away a section of moss covering the first half of the name, and he was able to make out the letters.

"HERE LYETH THE BODY OF

BUCKEYE BEULLER BUCHANAN

A FOUNDER OF SEABROOK SETTLEMENT

BORN 1750 IN SAINT FILLANS, SCOTLAND

"Holy Moonstone." Mumbled Wyatt, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Bucky, is that...?" Zed started but trailed off, obviously just as taken aback as the rest of them.

"Yeah." Bucky said in an oddly neutral tone. "This is my... Well, however many greats-grandfather. I'm named after him."

"_Buckeye? _Seriously?" Wyatt asked. He almost laughed, but something in Bucky's tone stopped him.

Bucky ignored the question, and turned to meet the eyes of Wyatt and the others.

"I'm sorry." Bucky said suddenly.

"Huh?" Wyatt wondered aloud, not understanding what Bucky was apologizing for.

"I'm sorry." Bucky repeated, meeting Wyatt's eyes. "I'm sorry for what my ancestors did to yours. All of your ancestors." He looked over to Zed and Bonzo, who looked similarly flabbergasted at the turn the conversation had taken.

"And I'm sorry for everything I've done to you guys, too." He continued, eyes wide with sincerity. "This," he gestured towards the stone at his feet. "is not who I want to be. This man left a legacy of prejudice and greed. That... isn't the legacy I want to leave. I don't want to end up like him, forgotten in some dingy cemetery in the woods."

Wyatt could feel that his mouth had fallen open, but for the life of him, he couldn't think of a single thing to reply. Luckily for him, Zed could.

"Bucky, it's okay." Zed said, still wearing a similar expression of surprise. "You _aren't _like him. The fact that you're here with us right now is already proof of that. Right, guys?"

The men all nodded, still not speaking.

"Besides," Zed continued with a grin. "That's the good thing about legacies. We all get to make our own."

"Zah." Bonzo said. Then, the tall zombie reached out, pulling Bucky into a tight bear hug.

"Umph." Bucky mumbled, his voice muffled as he stood stiffly for a moment with his arms straight at his sides. Then, hesitantly, he lifted his hands, offering Bonzo a short, clipped hug in return. Bonzo smiled triumphantly; Wyatt was pretty sure that Bucky was the only person who had ever successfully avoided a hug from Bonzo, up until now. After a quick second, the zombie released him, and Bucky stumbled a moment before regaining his footing on the uneven ground.

Wyatt reached out a hand to Bucky, a bit haltingly.

"Hey," Wyatt said, offering him a lopsided grin. "The past is in the past. What matters is what you do in the present."

Bucky met his gaze, looking uncharacteristically unsure before stretching out his hand and firmly shaking Wyatt's.

"Thanks, man." Bucky replied, as a more confident smile slid back into place.

"And don't worry," Wyatt continued, unable to help himself. "We won't tell anyone how ridiculous your real name is."

At this, the entire group burst into laughter, including the male cheerleader. The comment seemed to break the oddly heavy mood of the moment, much to Wyatt's relief. He had definitely not been expecting this turn of events when he'd decided to lead the guys up here to show off the view of Seabrook.

Turning back to face the twinkling lights of the city below, Wyatt gestured for the others to come sit with him as he lowered himself to the ground. The guys followed his lead, Bonzo stretching out his long legs across the grass and resting his head and arms back against a nearby headstone.

"So," Zed said, "Are you guys all camping with us on the beach Friday night? Ads says the cove is the best place to have a good view of the fireworks."

Wyatt grinned as the conversation continued, resting his own head against a short, rounded stone as he gazed down towards Seabrook.

Beneath them, the bones of the old Seabrook citizens rested, not knowing that their descendants were breaking down all of they had built. They were creating a new Seabrook, one filled with equality rather than division. And in this moment, despite being surrounded by the dead, the future looked brighter than the sparkling lights below.


	40. Chapter 40

Author's note: I hope you all have enjoyed the brief break from action and excitement, because this chapter is full of both. Hope you are having an excellent week!

ZzZzZzZ

Eliza's eyes snapped open.

It was nearly pitch black in the large game room, though the overhead light had still been on when she went to sleep. The only light was a soft, undulating glow coming from behind her. Rolling over to her side, she readjusted her pillow in an attempt to get more comfortable. An odd, sharp smell immediately assaulted her nose as she inhaled.

Something was wrong.

She sat up quickly from the couch. Someone, probably Willa, had covered her with a blanket, and it slid noiselessly to the floor as she moved. The space was eerily silent, other than the quiet breathing of her friends as they slept. The girls were scattered about the room on various couches and blankets. Across from her, Aruna and Mayar were sprawled across a pallet of pillows and blankets on the floor.

Inhaling again, Eliza tried to pinpoint the source of the sharp smell. It was burning into her throat and sinuses now, giving her a headache. The smell was familiar, but her half-asleep brain took a second to catch up. Where had she smelled this scent, recently? A flash in her mind showed her the rows of burning houses in Zombietown, smoke billowing up into the sky like dark pillars.

Smoke. And where there was smoke, there was –

"Fire!" Eliza shouted, causing several of the girls to shoot up from their various makeshift beds.

Next to her on the floor, she heard Willa take in a sharp, ragged breath.

"What?" Wynter mumbled, rolling over on the couch next to her and shoving her face down into the cushion.

"Oh!" Willa said, looking towards the large doorway behind Eliza. She turned to look as well. There was a soft, orange glow emanating from the game room entrance. Flames. As Eliza's eyes adjusted, she could now see the black and grey smoke, rolling like waves across the ceiling as it began to permeate the room. She felt dread forming a pit in her stomach. The smoke was coming from the only exit.

"Bree!" She shouted, releasing a choked cough at the end of her declaration. They had to figure out how to get out of here. There were no windows in the large room, probably because of the home theater, and the only door she'd seen was the one that was now impassable.

"Mph?" Bree said, not moving from her position on the leather couch. Her head lulled to one side.

"BREE!" Eliza shouted again, jumping up and rushing to shake her friend.

Bree coughed for a moment, but then seemed to finally look directly at Eliza. She looked like she was still half asleep. Maybe it was the smoke?

"Bree, there's a fire. We have to get out. Where can we go?"

Bree groaned, looking with unfocused eyes towards the door. Then, her eyes went wide.

"The home theater!" She said, suddenly sounding much more awake, though her voice came out raspy. "There's a trap door behind the back row of seats, it leads to our zombie safe room!"

"LET'S GO, EVERYONE!" Willa bellowed, startling the still sleeping Lunites from their spot on the floor and causing Wynter to yelp awake. "NOW!"

Addison, who was on the floor next to Mayar, groaned, but did not lift her head. She and Bree, being humans, were clearly already being affected by the smoke. And if they didn't get out of this room, the rest of them would soon be, too.

"Mayar, Aruna!" Eliza yelled. "Get Addison! I've got Bree."

They nodded, still looking disheveled from their abrupt awakening. She watched as they each reached down and helped Addison clumsily pull herself to her feet. Reaching back, Eliza and Willa pulled Bree upright, who seemed disoriented but still fully conscious. Together, the group of girls ran back across the large room, away from the glowing doorway and back towards the home theater. Their footsteps pounded into the large side room, which was lit only by the distant glow.

"Back there." Willa said, pointing towards the third row of seats. They rushed up the few short steps, and Willa and Wynter began to frantically feel along the carpeted floor for some kind of latch or irregularity. Then, Wynter released a triumphant yip as she found the large square seam in the floor. Running her freshly manicured claws along the line, she quickly pulled up the well-hidden trap door.

There was a set of stairs beneath the floor, which led down into complete blackness. But anyplace was better than their current location. Eliza rushed forward, pulling Bree along and following her mate and friend into the dark stairway. Behind her, she could hear Mayar and Aruna stumbling along with a partially-conscious Addison. As they entered, they heard the door thud closed behind them.

Eliza quickly descended into darkness, using her other senses to compensate for the temporary blindness. Then, a soft blue light shown from behind them, as Aruna and Mayar's hair reacted to the dark. Bree seemed to be slightly more alert now, her own steps more steady as they moved.

"There's a set of emergency lights at the bottom of the stairs," Bree said, her voice sounding rough but strong. "And a second door that leads into the safe room. It's fireproofed, and there's a second stairway that leads out to the back side of the property. We'll be safe."

They reached the bottom of the staircase, and Bree removed herself from Eliza's grasp with shaking hands. She ran a hand along the side wall to find the switch, and the stairway immediately flooded with an eerie green light. Before them was a large metal door. Rather than a handle, there was a large keypad in the center of it. Reaching forward, Bree quickly typed in a four digit pin number, and the door swung out towards them. They all rushed inside, Mayar quickly turning to pull the door shut behind them. A loud clicking noise resounded through the metal as it locked behind them.

The safe room itself looked more like a tiny house than it did a hiding place from rogue zombies. She knew that most human homes in Seabrook had safe rooms, but this was beyond anything needed for basic survival.

The long, narrow room was brightly lit, and the sections of wall that were not stainless steel were painted a pale yet vibrant pink. Multiple framed pictures were hung throughout the space, giving it a more comfy feel. Three long rows of neatly labeled cabinets lined the entirety of the left wall, leading back to a tiny kitchenette. In the center of the room were two couches, and behind them were two sets of bunk beds, set back into the right wall. All of the furniture was sparkling white. At the far end, a second metal door sat, identical to the one they had just entered through.

Moving past her, Aruna and Mayar quickly laid a groaning Addison onto the pristine couch.

Bree rushed to her best friends side, shaking her gently. She stumbled slightly as she reached her, falling to her knees.

"Addy?" She yelped, her concern evident through her scratchy voice.

Addison let out a deep, hacking cough, and her bright blue eyes popped open.

"What happened?" She said weakly, much to Eliza's relief.

"The house is on fire," Bree said. "But we made it out. We're in my family's safe room right now."

"Oh, Bree."Addison said, wavering slightly as she sat up to hug her friend. "I'm so sorry."

Eliza noted the tears that were flowing silently down Bree's face, and she understood. If the fire was as bad as it had appeared to be upstairs, there was a good chance that Bree's entire house was a loss. She took a moment to be thankful that both of Bree's parents had been out of town tonight, or the whole evening could have been for more tragic. She watched as the two girls hugged one another.

"It's okay." Bree said, putting on a brave smile as she glanced around the small space and made brief eye contact with the other girls. "It's just a house. Everything that matters is in this room right now."

Eliza felt a sudden surge of pride towards her friend. Bree was often so quiet and timid, it was easy to overlook her. But when it counted, Bree was always right there in the fray, ready to help. Whether it was sticking up for the zombies at the football game, or helping the wolves retrieve the moonstone. She was far stronger and braver than people gave her credit for, including Eliza.

To her side, she felt Willa's warm hand sliding into her own cool one. They looked at one another, gently squeezing the other's hand as they did.

"Yes," Willa said. "Everything that matters is here."

Eliza smiled gently back at her, the caring and affectionate smile which she reserved only for Willa. Good grief, she loved that werewolf.

"Should we keep going?" Wynter asked, gesturing towards the back of the space to the metal door across from them. "Is it safe to stay in here?" She still looked tense, a wolf ready to spring into action if needed.

"It should be safe," Bree said, looking back at the closed metal door. "The door and walls are filled with fireproofing, and we have an air ventilation system that keeps fresh air flowing in continuously. It was built so that my family would be able to survive in here for up to two months, in case... Well, you know. In case of another zombie apocalypse." Bree looked at Eliza a little guiltily.

Eliza could tell that Bree was worried that she might have insulted her, being the only zombie in the room. Though honestly, until this second, Eliza hadn't really thought about it. She no longer separated her friends between species, as she once had. Now, they were just people who she loved, and who she enjoyed being around. She shot Bree a quick grin, letting her know that no offense was taken.

"We should probably get out, though." Addison said, continuing the chain of thought. "Just in case."

Mayar looked at her doubtfully.

"Starlight," she said. "Maybe you should rest for a moment. You and Bree inhaled a lot of smoke, and I want to make sure that you're both alright."

At that moment, she sounded every bit like the older sister she was, wanting to ensure that her little sister was okay. She may not have grown up with Addison, but her love and sense of protection towards her was clear.

"I feel fine, really." Addison said, though her voice was rough and she still looked a bit out of it. "I'm okay. We can keep going. Besides, we need to get outside so that we can call the fire department. I'm pretty sure that we all left our phones upstairs." She patted absentmindedly at her sides, then quickly seemed to realize that her pajama pants did not have any pockets.

"I wonder what happened." Wynter pondered aloud, still staring back towards the door. "How did the fire even start?"

"I think I know." Mayar said, an uncharacteristically darkened expression making its way briefly across her face.

"Charon." Addison said in realization, anger and disbelief evident in her voice.

Though they had no proof, Eliza immediately knew that the sisters had to be right. It was too much of a coincidence. He must have been keeping track of them. It would be easy for him to realize that the girls were all in one place, and completely vulnerable as they slept. Eliza growled. She was getting pretty tired of this jerk, and the attempts on her and her friends' lives.

"I can't hear him." Mayar said thoughtfully. "Which means he can't hear us. So, he probably thinks we're all dead or unconscious by now."

"If we leave now," Willa interjected, eyes glowing faintly, "maybe we can still catch him. He definitely won't be expecting us." She grinned, flashing her fangs as she did. She was clearly ready for some revenge. Eliza was thinking along those same lines as well.

"Are you guys sure you're okay?" Eliza asked, looking back to Bree and Addison as they sat together on the now soot-stained couch,

The two human girls glanced at one another, then quickly nodded.

"Let's do this." Addison said, sounding far more steady than she had a minute before.

They stood, slightly shaky, as the group moved together towards the second door at the far end of the space. Bree reached out, punching in the same four digit code again. The door swung out and away from them. Eliza gazed into the long hallway, this one lit and clear of any smoke. Some distance away, she could see the second set of stairs which apparently led to the back of Bree's land.

Bree, Wynter, and Addison led the girls down the long corridor.

Bizarrely, Bree's family had also decorated the walls of the long hallway with family photos and bright, cheery artwork. As they walked, Eliza gazed more closely at the many family photos. An adorable, beaming Bree smiled back at her from each picture. To Eliza's surprise, she realized that several of the older photos included a second girl, who looked a few years younger than Bree. They had the same, cheery smile. She hadn't known that Bree had a little sister. But as the photos progressed, and Bree aged, the little girl vanished from the photos. All of the more recent ones, from the last ten or so years, showed only one child.

What had happened to Bree's sister? Eliza made a mental note to ask Addy sometime, when Bree wasn't around. If the little girl wasn't here, it was probably something bad. She made eye contact with Willa, who had also been looking at the photos. They exchanged a silent conversation, but said nothing aloud.

Finally, they reached the stairs, and began a gradual incline upwards.

"This is one heck of a safe room, Bree." Wynter commented as they climbed.

Bree shrugged. "I always thought it was a bit much." She said. "But I'm grateful we had it tonight."

The others could only nod fervently.

Then, they reached the top landing of the staircase, where a trap door awaited them.

Reaching up, Bree twisted the handle, pushing upwards. She grunted, looking back at Wynter.

"Could you give me a hand, Wynter? It's been a while since anyone opened this. I think some grass may have grown over the outside of it."

"Sure thing." Wynter replied, rushing forward. With only a little effort, she was able to easily heave the door up and outward, sending several clods of dirt and dried pine needles raining down onto them.

Quickly, the girls made their way upward and out into the night air. Eliza sighed in relief, glad to be outside. They were surrounded by tall pine trees, and the light from the moon shown down onto them between the branches in lovely beams. Eliza turned to face the house, and gasped.

The once beautiful house was fully engulfed. They had been more than lucky to escape when they had. Behind her, she heard Bree let out a small groan of sadness as they watched her home burn. In the distance, Eliza could also see the flashing of fire truck lights, and two large jets of water moving in low sweeps across the front of the structure. But like in Zombietown, she was pretty sure that they had arrived far too late to stop the flames.

Suddenly, the night air was filled with a long, sorrowful howl. Eliza felt her insides twist with unease. She may not have been very good at speaking wolf, but even she could hear the agony in the sound.

"Is that—" Wynter started.

"Wyatt." Willa finished, and behind her, Eliza saw Mayar's eyes widen with fear. Her soulmate was somewhere nearby, and clearly in trouble.

"Come on. It's coming from the road!" Willa shouted, and began to run.

Together, they all sprinted along the edge of the treeline, running towards the sound of a werewolf in peril.


	41. Chapter 41

Author's note: What? Another chapter already? This very dramatic scene was stuck in my head, and I needed to get it out to be able to sleep, lol. Enjoy!

ZzZzZzZ

Zed plucked absently at the rough, overgrown grass as they all sat and gazed out at the twinkling lights of Seabrook below them. This guy's night, despite the rocky start at the bowling alley, was actually turning out to be a pretty great evening. After they'd reached the cemetery, and Bucky had made his unanticipated apology to the zombies and Wyatt, they had all settled on the ground against the weathered stones to sit and talk. He was enjoying the conversation, and the view.

It was nice to take a night off from all of the recent drama.

"So when do you think you guys will be moving back into your houses?" Bucky asked, picking at tiny bits of gravel on the ground and mindlessly tossing them down the hill. Like Addison and her mom, Bucky too had spent many hours helping to gather salvageable furniture and other items. However, he hadn't seen any of the more recent progress.

"It should be by Thursday, actually." Zed said. "My dad and Bonzo's mom, and a few of the Seabrook contractors were working on painting the inside of Bonzo's house yesterday. They'll be working on ours all day today. If they get done, we can start moving back in tomorrow!"

"That's awesome, man!" Wyatt said.

"Yeah," Zed said, nudging Bonzo jovially. "It'll be nice to not be sleeping on Eliza's floor anymore, huh Bonz?" He chucked.

But Bonzo didn't answer. His brows were furrowed, and he was glaring downward towards the city with a look of rising concern.

"What is that?" He asked in his accented English, pointing out towards the upper east end of the town. There, a tall, dark column was rising silently into the clear night sky. It looked almost like...

"Smoke." Said Wyatt, his own brows dipping down. "It looks like there's a house fire down there."

"Should we call someone?" Bucky said doubtfully, as Qamar leaned forward to stare at the distant catastrophe. Zed was leaning forward too. He didn't know why, but the sight of the smoke was filling him with anxiety. Maybe it was just because it was a reminder of his own recent traumatic experience with fire.

"We need to go." Bonzo said, standing immediately and looking as though he was ready to take off running full tilt down the hill. Zed couldn't believe that his friend would even consider getting closer to a fire of any kind, especially one that large.

"Bonzo," Zed started. "There's not a lot that we can do, besides call for—"

"That's Bree's neighborhood." Bonzo said, his normally quiet voice loud and tight with worry.

Zed's eyes snapped back to the column of smoke. The odds of it actually being Bree's house were small, he was sure, but...

"Let's go." Wyatt said, having also sprung to his feet. His mate was down there, too. All of the women they loved were down there, somewhere, and suddenly Zed needed to know that they were all okay.

Pulling out his cell phone, Zed quickly speed-dialed Addison, not caring that it was nearly two in the morning. But it didn't ring. Instead, it went straight to voicemail. He dialed Eliza next, as the others watched with growing anxiety, but it, too, went to voicemail. Eliza always answered her phone.

"Come on, guys." Zed said, trying to feign a calmness he did not feel. "I'm sure that they're fine, but we should check it out, just in case." In fact, he wasn't feeling at all sure that they were fine. Qamar made quick eye contact with him, and Zed knew that Qamar could hear his inner monologue of worry.

At that, they all took off running, Bucky falling a bit behind as the others ran at inhuman speed. Qamar quickly overtook all of them, running ahead of Zed and Wyatt as the trees shot past them on either side. Wow. Lunites were fast. They quickly reached the trail, which led down and towards the main walking trail of Seabrook. It would take them right where they needed to go. In less than fifteen minutes, they had managed to run all the way back into town.

As they grew closer, Zed could smell the foul scent of the burning structure, which was indeed coming from Bree's neighborhood. There was a sense of dread growing in his stomach as they rounded the final corner that led up the street to where he knew Bree's house sat. Bucky was about a block behind them now, panting heavily as they climbed the final low, sloping hillside that would allow them to see the house.

Then, the trees gave way to the top of the hill, and Zed could see the house below. Bonzo shouted out a wordless cry, and sped up as they made the final stretch to the burning home. Two fire trucks were there, the workers waving jets of water in low sweeps at the base of the structure, which was fully engulfed with flames. This wasn't like in Zombietown, when Zed had run into Bonzo's house. There would be no running into this house.

He, Bonzo and Wyatt reached the front of the property, where Qamar was already standing, with both of his hands clutching the top of his head.

"I can't—" Qamar's voice broke. "I can't hear them! There's no one in the house."

He turned to face them, his blue eyes wide with terror. They were wet with unshed tears.

"They must have gotten out, then." Zed said resolutely, refusing to consider the alternative. But Addison's car was parked in the driveway, so they definitely hadn't driven anywhere. He glanced around him, spotting a z-patrol officer who was filling out paperwork on the hood of his patrol car as the firefighters continued to battle the flames. Zed sprinted over to him, calling out and lifting his uninjured arm to wave to the officer down.

"Sir! Excuse me!" He reached him, once again trying to feign a calmness that he did not feel.

The officer glanced up, a grave expression on his face.

"Sir," Zed continued, as he heard Wyatt, Bonzo, Qamar and Bucky running up behind him. "Sir, where are the girls that were in the house? They got out, right?" He heard the desperate edge in his own voice as he spoke.

The officer looked him over, appearing tired but guarded. "Are you, ah, family, young man?"

"I am!" Bucky spoke up, still panting heavily from his efforts to stay caught up with the much faster group of monsters. He bent over, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "My cousin was in there. Where is she?"

The officer looked at them, and the sorrowful expression that crossed his face told Zed what he was going to say before the words left his mouth.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you all this, but... No one got out of the house."

At this, Zed stumbled back, as though he had been hit with a physical blow. His heart felt like it was being torn into two separate pieces. Distantly, he could hear someone repeatedly mumbling "No, no, no..." and it took him a second to realize that it was him. It wasn't possible. They couldn't be gone. _She_ couldn't be gone.

At his side, he saw Wyatt collapse as his knees gave out, his hands clawing desperately into the gravel at the side of the road. Tilting back his head, he released a long, agonized howl. The howl went on and on, and even in Zed's distraught state, it cut into his heart like a knife twisting in his torso. It was the sound of pure grief and pain. His girlfriend and sister had been in that house.

The officers and firefighters nearby paused in their movements, bearing witness to Wyatt's sorrow.

Zed could hear Bonzo's muffled sobs, as he too collapsed into a sitting position on the ground. Qamar, like Zed, seemed to be frozen in disbelief. His expression was blank, though pale blue tears were falling silently down his cheeks. Next to him, Bucky had stumbled, trying to steady himself on the stone mailbox as he stared horrified at the flames.

All Zed could think about was Addy.

She couldn't be gone. It wasn't possible. She was his whole universe. How could the wind keep blowing, the stars keep shining, if there was no Addison in the world? There was nothing without her. He pictured her bright blue eyes, gazing up at him with joy as she smiled. Her warm lips pressing sweetly against his cool ones. The sound of her giggles as they cuddled in the safe room at school. Her look of disbelief as she gazed down at the ring he had given her. Then, he pictured her and the others, trapped in the burning home. The panic, the pain they must have felt.

He took in a deep, shuddering breath. The pain in his chest was unbearable.

Suddenly, he saw Qamar rapidly shift from his frozen position, turning to face the woods that surrounded Bree's home. Rather than the blank expression that had been on his face, he now wore a look Zed had never seen on him before. Pure, absolute rage.

"CHARON!" Qamar screamed, and then he was running, bounding into the treeline.

Zed's eyes widened as he suddenly took in the meaning of Qamar's declaration. Charon was nearby. Which meant that this fire had not been an accident. This had been murder.

Roaring with rage, Zed leapt into action, skidding along the gravel as he turned to follow behind Qamar. He vaguely noticed Bonzo, looking up into the treeline with an dawning expression of pure hatred as he too realized what had happened. The fire reflected in his eyes, making them glow. Wyatt's eyes were glowing as well as he snapped his head towards the others. He heard their footsteps next to him as they too rushed into the woods.

Zed quickly cleared the trees, following Qamar's lead as they all made chase. Qamar's hair was not glowing, but the white glint of it in the moonlight was more than enough to use as a guide. Using the zombie senses that he generally ignored, Zed could smell the faint scent of Charon's cologne. He recognized it from the disastrous car ride he had taken with him. He heard Wyatt and Bonzo snarl viciously as they both caught the scent as well.

In this moment, he and the others were no longer people; they were monsters, hunting their prey.

After only a short sprint, he saw a second white head of hair fleeing in the opposite direction. Zed sped up, his feet kicking up a spray of dirt and pine needles. Charon would not get away, would not get the upper hand. Not this time. Zed focused completely on the anger, using it to distract him from the pain. As they burst through the trees and into the expansive yard of a neighboring home, Zed watched with great satisfaction as Qamar tackled the older Lunite, sending them both sprawling into the manicured grass. Next to him, Bonzo bellowed out a truly terrifying roar as he saw his target. Zed had no doubt that they were about to tear Charon limb from limb. He was going to pay for what he'd done to their friends and mates, with his life.

As Zed approached, he could feel a heavy buzzing in his head, but it didn't seem to be affecting him. It looked as though Qamar was concentrating deeply as they struggled, and he realized that Qamar was using his own powers to protect Zed and the others from Charon's counterattacks.

Running forward, They all seemed to strike at once. He watched as Wyatt snapped savagely at Charon's throat. He missed by a hair as Charon's arm shot forward, striking him sharply in the face. Wyatt snarled, baring his fangs as the cut on his cheek opened at the impact and a line of blood began to flow down his face.

Charon yelled, throwing Qamar roughly to the side only to be tackled again by Bonzo and Zed. Zed felt the sharp crunching sensation in his injured shoulder as his brace broke, but it didn't hurt. For the first time in his life, and despite the soothing pulses of the z-band, he gave in to the instinct to bite as they rolled across the lawn. His jaws snapped down into Charon's shoulder, hard, and the man screamed. Even through the fabric of Charon's jacket, Zed could taste blood. Next to him, Bonzo was punching him repeatedly in the face and upper torso. Suddenly, both Zed and Bonzo were thrown back, as the Lunite thrust them away from himself.

Charon began to stand before being once again overcome by Qamar, who flew into him as Wyatt kicked out at Charon's legs, causing his feet to fly out from under him. For a moment, the murderer laid there, sprawled out on the grass and panting heavily with anger in his blue eyes. Addison's eyes. Then, as one unit, Zed, Bonzo and Wyatt moved in to finish him.

"STOP!" Someone screamed.

Zed turned, breathing heavily with rage and exertion. Bucky was running towards them, holding up his hands as he approached the violent scene.

"STOP, you guys! This isn't what they would have wanted." He looked directly at Zed. "This isn't what _she_ would have wanted, Zed."

Zed stiffened, the fight and the rage seeming to drain slowly from him. He looked back at Charon on the ground, who was still conscious but clearly unable to move. They locked eyes, and Zed knew that Bucky was right. This was not what Addy would have wanted. She would never have wanted Zed to be a killer. He backed away slowly on suddenly unsteady feet. The others gradually relaxed from their crouched positions, no longer looking as though the were about to strike.

"You don't understand," Charon said, looking up at all of them with earnest eyes. "This had to be done. It was for the good of all of Seabr –"

"Shut UP!" Bucky shouted. Stomping forward, Bucky swung out his foot, kicking Charon hard in the side of the head and knocking him out cold.

The group of young men stood in a loose formation around the now silent Charon, panting and bleeding and bruised from the fierce altercation. Zed could now feel the deep pain in his shoulder, certain that he had re-broken it yet again. The brace he had been wearing was shattered, now resting in two pieces on the pristine green grass. His football career was probably over for this season. It didn't matter, anyway. Nothing did, without her.

He could hear the padded thudding of many running feet on the forest floor, coming towards them through the trees. Good. Z-Patrol would take this monster into custody, and he would never hurt anyone again. But it was already too late. Zed didn't turn around to look at the approaching officers, not wanting to take his eyes off of the unmoving Charon, just in case. But Wyatt and Qamar were facing that direction, and he registered when their expressions abruptly morphed from sorrow to disbelief.

"Holy moonstone!" Wyatt gasped, and then he was speeding past Zed and Bonzo, in the direction of the approaching z-patrol. Qamar was following right behind him. Zed turned, and was met with a sight that his brain couldn't seem to comprehend.

The girls were running towards them, Mayar sprinting out in front to reach Wyatt. He caught her in midair, lifting her off of the ground with joy as they shared a passionate kiss. Behind them, Wynter, Willa, Bree and Eliza were rushing forward as well, looks of shock and apprehension on their sooty faces as they took in the scene before them. He heard Willa shout something, but didn't comprehend what it was as he caught sight of long, disheveled waves of white hair flying towards him.

Zed felt his knees buckle as he gasped, unable to speak as his head spun with realization.

Addison. Addison was here. Addison was alive. It was impossible.

She crashed into him, nearly knocking him off balance as she wrapped her arms tightly around him. Instantly, he felt his hands constricting around her small frame, pulling her flush against him. His head was at the level of her heart. He desperately pressed his ear to her chest, listening to the strong, even heartbeat that resided there.

"Addy, Addy Addy..." He was saying, over and over, not caring that tears were falling from his face as he held her.

"Shh," she soothed, tenderly running her fingers through his hair. "It's okay. Everything's okay."

Around them, chaos was ensuing as z-patrol finally arrived on scene. Officers were shouting, Bonzo and Bree were crying as they held each other, and Willa and Wynter were howling. A suddenly hysterical Bucky was being held up by a smiling Qamar, while Aruna explained the situation to z-patrol as they moved in to cuff a still unmoving Charon. But in this moment, Zed simply continued to hold Addison, and blocked out the rest of the world around them as he rejoiced in his love's safety.


	42. Chapter 42

Author's note: Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful week! I'm so glad that I've actually had the time to get so many chapters out these last few days. The drama continues, because I can't help myself. In this chapter, Addison prepares to tell her parents the truth, and poor Zed continues to have a rough night.

As always, I live for your likes, follows and reviews! Stay awesome, and stay safe!

ZzZzZzZ

"Shhh," She said, stroking his hair in a gentle, soothing pattern as he cried. " It's okay. Everything's okay." Addison could hear the light hoarseness in her own voice, but she was far more worried about Zed.

"Addy, Addy, Addy..." He repeated, his breath hitching unevenly as he clutched her tightly against himself. Her name seemed to be the only thing Zed was capable of verbally articulating in his current distress. His thoughts were an equally jumbled mess, overwrought with grief and relief and adrenaline. It took her several moments to finally understand why he was so upset.

_Addy's here, Addy's okay. I thought she was gone, I thought everything was over. I can't survive without her. _His mind flashed to him and the other men, reacting to the fire and their false belief that Addison and the others were dead. Her heart broke as she felt his agony. Then, his thoughts messily switched to a violent fight, centered around an older man with white hair. _I almost killed him._

At that thought, her eyes finally rose from staring at the top of Zed's head to look at the chaos unfolding in front of them. To her absolute shock, a battered and unconscious Charon lay sprawled on the large lawn, currently being rolled over and cuffed by several z-patrol officers. Next to them, Aruna, Wynter, Willa and Eliza were all offering frantic explanations to two more officers, who were staring at them with looks of complete confusion. Bucky seemed to be crying into a smiling Qamar's shoulder.

Next to Addison and Zed, Bonzo and Bree were laughing through their tears, staring at one another as they whispered sweetly back and forth in quiet zombie tongue. Behind them, Mayar and Wyatt seemed to be kissing passionately, and completely unaware of the insanity surrounding them.

"I'm right here, Zed." Addison continued, bringing her focus back to her nearly hysterical fiance. She lowered herself to the ground as well, so that she could look him in the eyes. "See? Hey."

She put her hand on his chin, gently leading his face to gaze directly at her. "I'm okay. Everyone's okay." As he looked at her, he seemed to rapidly calm. He took in a deep, gulping breath and winced. She felt her own tension ease as he settled slightly. She'd never seen him so upset or inconsolable, ever. Having believed her to be dead, even though it was only for a few minutes, seemed to have traumatized him deeply.

Addison couldn't blame him for losing it. She would have done the same thing.

"Shh," she repeated, continuing to soothingly stroke his hair.

"Addison," he whispered. "I love you."

Leaning in, he offered her a soft but arduous kiss. Tenderly, she kissed him back, momentarily forgetting that they were surrounded by people and that it was probably not at all appropriate. His cool lips and his hand cupping the back of her head were like a balm to her own frayed nerves. Everything else seemed to briefly disappear around them. After a moment, the kiss deepened. She loved him so much. She could feel his love for her, warming her skin like rays of sunshine on a summer day.

"ADDISON!"

At the sound of the familiar voice, both of them jerked their heads back and away, looking around in time to see Chief Dale sprinting towards them across the lawn. Addison's dad looked as though he had just stumbled out of bed. His hair was ridiculously disheveled, and he was wearing rumpled slacks and his z-patrol suit jacket over a mis-buttoned dress shirt. Addison felt a lump of anxiety forming in her throat. Of course he was here. Being the Chief of Zombie Patrol, her dad kept a police scanner in his room on his bedside table. He would have heard about the fire, and rushed there to make sure she was alright. With good reason, as it turned out.

Addison put a hand softly to Zed's face, and he gazed back at her, even managing to offer her the ghost of a smile. He clearly did not want to let go of her, and she was equally unwilling. Rather than completely disentangling themselves, Addison settled for pulling them both into a standing position, grasping his hand tightly. She watched his face take on a pained expression as he struggled to stand, and belatedly realized that he was injured.

"What's wrong?" She asked, feeling the corners of her mouth turn down in concern.

"Nothing. I'm perfectly fine." Zed said.

_My shoulder snapped like a twig when I attacked Charon. _Zed thought.

"Zed," she started, ready to remind him that she could hear his thoughts, and knew he was most definitely not 'perfectly fine.' Then, her dad reached them.

"Addy," he said, voice breaking with relief as he enveloped her in a tight hug. She hugged him back fiercely, though she still kept a tight grip on Zed's hand with her other arm. She could feel her father's fear, and his deep concern for her well being.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" He asked, kissing her on the forehead. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"Dad, I'm totally fine. Really. Eliza smelled the smoke, and we all got to Bree's safe room in time. We're all okay."

He pulled back slightly, turning to look at Zed.

"Zed. Are you alright? You aren't looking so good."

"Fine." Zed lied, his facial expression poorly trying to mask the growing pain he was clearly in.

"He re-broke his shoulder. Pretty badly, I think." Addison said. "He's going to need to go to the hospital."

Zed turned his head to face her, wincing as he did, looking as though the hospital was the last place he wanted to go. _I'm not leaving you. _He thought, stubbornly.

"I'll come too, don't worry." Addison said.

"What are you..." Her dad trailed off, finally taking in the scene before him now that he was certain his child was safe. "Is that..." Her dad stared pointedly at the unconscious man cuffed on the turf. "Is that Charles Moon, from city council?"

"Ah... yeah." Zed said, and they both watched Chief Dale's eyes darken as he glared down at the white-haired male. Addison was instantly sure that, whatever her parents tried to pretend, her dad knew exactly what Charles Moon had done to his wife so many years ago.

"Dad," Addison said, desperately wanting to communicate what had happened. "He's the one who started the fire. He was trying to kill me and my sis—" She suddenly realized what she was about to say, and instantly clamped her mouth shut. Zed's eyes widened as he met her's.

Addison glanced over to Mayar, who was now looking directly back at her as she held both of Wyatt's hands. Mayar nodded, and Addison realized what had to be done. Oh, no. She was going to have to tell her dad. Tell him everything. About the Lunites, and about Charon and the moonstone. Even about the parts that he and her mom had spent almost two decades trying to forget about.

"Dad," She said, suddenly feeling more nervous than the day she'd tried out for the cheer squad. "We need to talk... Mom too."

His brows dipped down, as he glanced from her to her assorted group of friends. His eyes froze on Aruna, Qamar and Mayar. While Qamar may have been dressed as a human, Aruna and Mayar were in traditional Lunite garb, and stuck out like a sore thumb. She knew he was taking in their clothing and white hair. Hair that was the exact color of his daughter's. He turned back to look at Addison.

"Zed," he said, glancing towards him. "Walk back to the ambulance and get checked out. I'm going to have a quick word with Addy, and then she'll go with you to the hospital. That shoulder needs medical attention."

"Yes sir." Zed nodded, seeming barely able to move his head due to the pain. _Everything will be okay, Addy._ Zed thought, making quick eye contact with her. She nodded, and watched as his hand slipped from hers as he trudged back towards the rescue vehicles. She felt worry twist her insides, but she knew he'd be alright for a minute.

"Addy, what really happened here tonight?" Her dad asked, his voice going quiet.

She met his eyes, feeling nervous but resolved.

"Well, like I said, Charon set the fire. Charles Moon, I mean. He's been trying to kill Mayar and I for a couple of weeks now. Ever since the moonstone crashed."

"Who? The _what?_" He asked, clearly completely lost.

Addison bit her lip. This was going to take forever. She glanced at Mayar again, and sighed. _Mayar, _she said. _Go get your elders, and all of you meet us at the hospital in an hour. I'd rather not have this conversation more than once._

At this, Mayar nodded her head, pulling at Wyatt's hand and whispering into his ear. He looked back at her and nodded in silent agreement, and they both instantly turned and fled into the trees without further conversation.

"Dad," Addison said, turning back to face her father. "I'm going to explain everything, but I need you to trust me. I'm going to go with Zed to the hospital. Go home and get mom, and meet us at Seabrook Medical in an hour. Get my friends there, too. Then we can all sit down and talk. There's a lot to explain. In the meantime, make sure Charles Moon is somewhere secure, where he can't hurt anyone. He's dangerous."

He stared at her for a moment, feeling conflicted. She was asking him to go against standard incident protocol, and she knew that was not something that would be easy for him to do. Especially since she was telling him to imprison a high-ranking Seabrook official without any actual evidence. But she was his daughter. And to her slight surprise, he trusted her. After a short moment, Chief Dale nodded.

"I'll see what I can do, sweetie." He said, reaching out to hug her again. "Go take care of Zed. I'll be there with your mom and the others as soon as I can."

"Thanks Dad." She paused. "I love you."

He froze for a moment. Her family rarely ever said the "L" word to one another. They were too prim and proper for that kind of show of affection. He looked away, glancing to where her assorted friends were giving their statements to other officers.

"I love you, too. Addy." Her dad said, not looking at her.

She smiled, and turned to jog into the woods to where she had seen the ambulances outside on Bree's street. It was just a short jaunt through the trees to reach the house, as the miniature forested area was only about fifty yards deep. As she jogged, she felt a lightness in her chest that she hadn't anticipated. Her hair glowed a soft white blue, shimmering against the gloom of the night.

Things were looking up. Miraculously, aside from Zed's shoulder, no one had been seriously hurt tonight. Charon was in custody, where he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone. And soon, she would no longer have to worry about keeping secrets from anyone. In an hour or two, her parents would know everything, and the Lunites would be revealed to the public. She wasn't exactly looking forward to the conversation, but it would be a relief for everything to finally be out in the open. No more secrets. She could just be herself, and so could everyone else.

As she reached the street, Addison turned her head from side to side, searching out which ambulance Zed had walked to. After a moment, she saw one with it's back door hanging open. Inside, she could see two lanky legs stretched out in a laying position on the cot, maroon hightops hanging of of the edge. Weird. Why was he lying down?

As she approached the back of the ambulance, she was met with the extremely nervous expression of a young EMT. The man looked only maybe a year or two older than her, and had shaggy blonde hair that stuck out from the corners of his hat. He made eye contact with her, and worriedly glanced behind him at the still form of Zed. He was radiating stress. This made alarm bells begin to go off in her head. What had happened?

"What's wrong?" She asked, trying to stay calm as she attempted to look past him and into the back of the vehicle. She could hear Zed's brain, but it was... Off. Fuzzy. Like a radio with poor reception.

"Are you his fiance, mam'm? He said you were on the way here and to wait for you..." He gulped.

"Yes, I am." She said, now getting annoyed as he once again blocked her view into the tiny ambulance interior.

"Well, first off, I just want you to know that he's going to be completely, one hundred percent okay." The EMT said, voice shaking slightly at the end of the sentence. "And also, I feel like I should mention that this is my first week as a emergency technician, and also that I've never had a zombie patient bef—"

"What is wrong with my fiance?" Addison nearly shouted, and to her surprise, she saw Zed's feet twitch in reaction.

"Ads...?" A low voice slurred from the cot.

"Zed!" She gasped, pushing past the nervous EMT and practically flying into the ambulance.

Zed was lying haphazardly across the cot, limbs dangling uselessly at his sides. His arm had been splinted into place with multiple bandages, so that he couldn't move it. His eyes were half closed, but he struggled to focus on her face as she leaned in to examine him.

"Zed, baby? What's wrong? What happened?" She asked, feeling slightly panicked. He'd been fine just two minutes ago, other than the anxiety and the obvious discomfort he had clearly been experiencing.

"Told them I couldn't have any meds..." Zed mumbled, slowly shaking his head back and forth. "But they didn' lissnn..." At that, Zed stopped speaking. Then, to her horror, he stopped breathing, too. His eyes were staring blankly in her direction. The tiny machine that had been quietly beeping out the rhythm of his heart grew suddenly silent. He looked... dead. She was half a millisecond from screaming for the EMT, when Zed's Z-Band sent a powerful jolt through him, abruptly restarting his heart.

"Ow." Zed said softly, eyes closing.

Addison whirled around, her hair partially obscuring her vision.

"What did you do to him!?"

"Nothing!" The EMT said defensively, raising both hands in a placating gesture. "I just gave him morphine for the pain! That shoulder is in bad shape, mam'm. He told me that zombies weren't supposed to have any pain meds, but I thought he was just playing tough, so I gave him a shot anyway."

"You _WHAT?_" Addison hissed viciously, causing Zed's limp form to startle again. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Of course he had reacted badly to human medicine. They were an entirely different species! It was common knowledge (or so she'd thought), that zombies never took anything stronger than a tylenol. Any narcotic level medication could lead to pretty severe reactions, such as coma-like symptoms or even respiratory arrest. Zed was clearly displaying the latter side affect.

She was going to strangle this EMT.

"I swear, I didn't know that they couldn't take the same medications as humans. Like I said, this is my first time treating a zombie. And his Z-Band has a standard safeguard that will restart his heart if it stops, like a built in defibrillator."

"A what? You know what," She huffed angrily. "It doesn't matter. Just get this ambulance moving so he can get to the hospital. If he didn't need to go before, he definitely does now, thanks to you!" Addison leveled the young man with a menacing glare. She didn't know if she'd ever been more angry in her life.

The EMT had the decency to look ashamed, but quickly jumped down from the cab to tell the driver to head to Seabrook Medical. As he rounded the side of the vehicle, Addison quickly turned back to Zed, still lying unmoving on the cot.

"Zed?" She said softly, watching with worry as his eyes opened halfway again.

"Oh. Hey, Ads..." He murmured, offering her a goofy half grin. Even amidst her extreme stress, she couldn't help but note how absolutely adorable he was.

Poor Zed. He was definitely having a bad night.

"Hey, zandgrome. Everything is fine. Don't worry about anything, okay?"

It seemed to take him a few seconds to process her words, and then he nodded slowly. Each of his movements looked like he was trying to move through water.

"You're my favorite person." He sighed, eyes closing again. "We should get married."

She couldn't help but huff out a quiet laugh.

"Yeah, we really should." She replied, gently kissing his temple as the ambulance started to move. Apparently, the idiot EMT was too scared of her to ride with them in the back. Which was probably for the best. Her rage towards the young man flared up, as Zed's heart briefly stopped again. As she watched his Z-Band shock him once again, she felt a lump form in her throat. He groaned in response to the shock, his head rolling in her direction to face her though his eyes remained closed. The muted wails of the ambulance's sirens resounded through the small space. She grasped Zed's hand tightly.

This was shaping up to be the longest night of her life, and it wasn't even over yet.


	43. Chapter 43

Author's note: In this chapter, we are hearing from both Addison's real dad, and her biological one. enjoy!

ZzZzZzZ

Zombie Patrol Chief Dale Wells was not happy. Not at all.

He had been awakened shortly before two in the morning by the loud crackling of the police scanner, which he always kept on his bedside table. Seabrook had little to no crime issues, and the scanner was generally very quiet during the night shift. So, when the scanner had loudly jerked him awake in the middle of the night, he was immediately on high alert.

"Attention, 904. All fire units, please respond to a large 11-71 at 515 Pinewood Court. House is fully engulfed. Possible fatalities. Unknown whether anyone was in the home."

Dale had sat bolt upright at that. He knew that address, for more reasons than one. That address had been the location of the Brighten tragedy ten years ago, involving Dr. Brighten's youngest daughter. The scene in that home would be burned into his memory forever, and he still occasionally had nightmares about it. But more pressingly, it was the address of Addison's best friend, Bree. Where Addison was currently staying the night.

He had immediately flown out of bed, frantically dressing in the dark and grabbing his phone. Looking over, he had glanced down at his wife's sleeping form on the bed. For a short second, he considered waking her. Missy was a notoriously sound sleeper, and never heard the scanner on the rare occasions that it went off. But he didn't want to alarm her for no reason. Not until he knew exactly what was going on. For all he knew, everyone was completely fine. Striding over, he quickly kissed her on the temple, then rushed out into the night.

Jumping into his tiny patrol car, he had driven twice the legal limit, sirens blaring into the night. His little girl might be in danger. As he sped towards 515 Pinewood Court, his mind flashed through thoughts of his daughter. A five year old Addison, giggling as her wig fell down over her eyes during a cartwheel in the backyard. Addison at ten in a muddy cheer uniform, entering their front door carrying a turtle she had found in a ditch and begging him to let her keep it. The look of fear and panic in her eyes when he had told her that until she introduced them to her boyfriend, she would never cheer again.

Of course, he had certainly never even entertained the idea that the boy she was seeing would be a zombie, nor that their relationship would have progressed so far. And now, his baby girl was engaged. Her whole life was ahead of her, and he and Missy were just beginning to accept her unusual partner and group of friends. Dale wanted to be a better dad to her. He'd just needed time to realize it. She had to be okay, She _had_ to.

Thankfully, when he had arrived at the scene, he had been quickly relieved to discover that his daughter was perfectly fine. His future son-in-law, on the other hand, had a severely injured shoulder, apparently from tackling the accused arsonist to the ground. After receiving a confusing set of instructions from Addison, he sent them off to the hospital, promising to meet them in an hour with Missy and Addison's other friends. Dale wasn't certain, but he was pretty sure that he knew, at least in part, what his daughter wanted to talk to them about.

The real question was; How in the world she had found out? He and Missy had kept their promise to one another to never speak of the indiscretion, from day one. They had always been so careful never to mention it, to never even think about it. But he was thinking about it now, for the first time in years.

Dale had been afraid, that first day in the hospital, that he would be unable to care for a child that was not biologically his. But from the first time he'd held her, it had been clear to him that she was always meant to be his daughter. He had fallen in love instantly, with her sweet disposition and perfect, cherubic face. Swaddled in his arms, she had stared up at him with those sparkling blue eyes. How could he not immediately love her as his own?

Addison and Missy, his perfect little family.

Now, Dale looked down at the man that he secretly hated, on the ground in handcuffs and slowly awakening. The man who, ironically, he owed so much of his happiness to. Of course he knew that Charles was her biological father. It wasn't exactly hard to figure out. The white hair, clearly some kind of genetic anomaly, was a dead giveaway. Dale suspected that Missy knew who he was as well, since he was the only person on the city council who had never once been invited to dinner at their home. Yet they all had to work together frequently, and so Dale had always managed to maintain a cordial professional relationship with the man.

If Dale was being honest, he was a little jealous that Zed had actually gotten to tackle him. Dale had been wanting to do so himself for years.

Groaning, Charles looked up at him, his left eyebrow swelling and blue as a deep bruise began to form. Zed and the other boys had really done a number on him.

"Hello, Dale." Charles said, in a pleasant and conversational tone that did not fit their current situation at all. "Quite an interesting evening we're having, isn't it?"

"Charles." Dale said, forcing politeness into his tone. "You've been accused by several people of starting a fire at the Brighten house. What can you tell me about that?"

Charles laughed. "Dale, do I strike you as the type of person who goes around setting fires?"

Dale sighed. "Charles, what I think isn't important. Surely, you understand that I'll have to take you in for questioning."

The councilman offered a half shrug. To Dale's deep satisfaction, the movement seemed to cause him a fair amount of discomfort. In all honesty, he wasn't sure if Charles actually was capable of intentionally setting a fire in order to kill others. He shouldn't let his own bias against the man cloud his judgement.

Besides, all Charles Moon ever did was donate money to a plethora of causes around Seabrook. The guy was basically a saint, as far as the rest of the city was concerned. They didn't know that once, years ago, the man had taken advantage of and impregnated an innocent woman. Dale's hand involuntarily balled into a fist as he thought of it.

Fortunately, the fact that Moon was out here in the middle of the night, a few miles from his own home, was suspicious in itself. It would be no problem to hold him for up to 24 hours, based on that alone. That would give Addison plenty of time to speak with him and Missy, and to explain whatever it was she needed to explain. And, it would provide more time for Dale to sort out the myriad of other questions he currently had circling in his head. Such as what had actually taken place tonight, and who the three white-haired teens he'd seen earlier were.

"Gus," Dale called, turning to watch the man approach. "Take Mr. Moon into the custody, and have a medic come take a look at him once you get to the station. I'll be along in a few hours to question him." He turned to look at Charles, who was calmly following the interaction.

"Sorry about all of this, Charles," Dale said, not actually feeling sorry at all. "But I'm sure you understand."

"Of course," Charles said amicably. "You're just doing your job, Dale. It's all for the good of Seabrook, right?"

"Right." Dale said, begrudgingly. The guy was so darned charming.

"Besides," Charles continued, "I'm sure this will all be sorted out soon enough." He grinned, and allowed Gus and another officer to lead him slowly to a nearby patrol car.

Dale sighed, and checked his watch. He'd have to go back by the house to get Missy. Then, he would go with her to meet Addison at the hospital, and have the conversation he had hoped they'd never have to have.

It was going to be a very, very long night.

ZzZzZzZ

The patrol car hummed quietly as it drove towards the Z-patrol station across town. Charon sighed, leaning his extremely sore head back against the car seat. The cramped conditions in the small squad vehicle were certainly not as roomy as he would have liked. Owning a luxury vehicle had ruined all other cars for him. He shifted from side to side, in a pointless attempt to get more comfortable with the rather bulky handcuffs forcing his arms behind him.

Looking around contemplatively, Charon briefly considered escaping.

It would be fairly easy to subdue the officers in the front seats, and to then kick his way out of the back door. The cuffs would also be no problem to pull apart. They had put him in handcuffs meant for humans, not the much stronger ones designed to hold zombies and werewolves. Then he could get the key from one of the unconscious officers, and free his wrists from the metal bands.

But if he did escape, he would be all but confessing to starting the fire. He would have to go into hiding, and the life he had built for himself would be forfeit. More importantly, Charon's reputation would be sullied. He certainly couldn't afford to do that. It was true that his plans were going to change Seabrook and the people in it forever. However, he was still going to have to live amongst them afterwards.

So Charon decided that the best move would be to play along with the arrest. They had no evidence on him, and he'd ensured that they would find nothing at the scene. He had also heard Chief Dale's inner monologue, and knew that they would only be able to hold him for around 24 hours. He'd be out by Thursday morning, at the latest. That still gave him plenty of time to put his plan into action on Friday at the Shore Day Festival. Everything was in place. His only concern up until now had been to ensure that his children and their friends didn't do anything that would prevent him from completing his work. He had tried multiple times to get them out of the equation, with little luck.

Though as Charon thought about it, he couldn't help but wonder if his heart wasn't fully in it.

Surely, if he truly wanted Mayar and Starlight dead, they would be so by now. He had thought that tonight would wrap things up nicely. Waiting until they were all sound asleep, Charon had cut the lines to the alarm system, so that they would not be awakened. He'd also tried to arrange it so that it would be as painless as possible. They would die in their sleep from the smoke inhalation, before the flames would ever reach them.

He didn't want a group of innocents to suffer. He wasn't a monster.

Charon had stood in the woods, listening as each mind slowly faded into silence, and felt confident in his success. An unfortunate but necessary sacrifice.

What he hadn't anticipated was the zombie safe room that apparently resided underneath the Brighten home, and the subsequent escape tunnel that had brought the group of girls to safety. When he'd heard their minds fading out, it hadn't been due to death; it had been due to distance. He should have taken this possibility into consideration. Of course Dr. Brighten and his wife would be more prepared for disaster than the average family in Seabrook. They had already seen what could happen when one's guard was left down.

Charon also certainly hadn't expected the others to show up at the scene as he hid in the woods nearby. Nor had he anticipated that they would track and hunt him down like a group of avenging angels. Charon gently ran his tongue along his lower lip, feeling the sharp sting where it had been split by that giant lug of a zombie's punches. His shoulder still burned from the vicious bite Zed had inflicted on his shoulder. He was definitely going to be sore for a few days, and his favorite jacket now had a large hole in the shape of a Zed's teeth.

Not that any of it would matter, after Friday.

As they rounded a sharp corner, he listed to the side, bumping his already bruised head lightly against the window. He frowned. He would have thought that Gus would treat a high ranking citizen such as himself with greater care.

"Sorry, Mr. Moon." Gus said from the driver's seat. "I didn't mean to take that turn so fast."

"No worries, Gus." Charon said, offering him as pleasant a smile as he could manage. Again, he briefly considered attacking the two officers in the front, but instead chose to restrain his anger. He just needed to be patient for a few hours.

This current set of inconveniences would only be a minor setback in the big scheme of things. He was willing to take a few hits (both literally and figuratively) for the overall good of his fellow citizens. One day, they would all look back on this and thank him. He would be the hero of Seabrook. He would be known as the one who, once and for all, provided the city with true equality and order.

His plan would benefit everyone. The people of Seabrook would finally be truly unified, and he would no longer have to worry about his increasing age. Charon was forty-five years old. He knew he was running out of time, and he simply hadn't enjoyed enough of this life yet. He wanted more money, more power, and more time. And he would get it.

Very, very soon, he would fix everything.


	44. Chapter 44

It felt like the entire population of Seabrook was packed into the small waiting area of the emergency room. Wyatt knew it was an exaggeration, but not by much. Mayar was sharing a chair with him, sitting across his lap with her arms draped softly around his shoulders. If he had it his way, she would never be further than an arm's width away from him again. As he considered this, he felt her head lean into the nape of his neck, and she sighed. He could tell that she was tired, and he squeezed her gently.

Next to Wyatt and Mayar were two of the Lunite Elders, Ayla and Badru, whom he had not met before tonight. They looked to be in their early forties, and were surveying their surroundings with expressions that were friendly yet concerned. This was not exactly the way they had hoped their people would be revealing themselves to the community of Seabrook.

Beside Ayla and Badru were Aruna, Qamar and Bucky. Bucky seemed to have fallen asleep, head rolled back against the wall behind his plastic chair and mouth hanging open as he snored quietly. Next to him were Mayor Missy and Chief Dale, and two other city council members, all looking equal parts confused and sleep deprived. Wynter, Willa, and Eliza were standing with their backs against the wall. Wynter looked tense, eyes darting back and forth between the various people that filled the room. Willa had an arm resting loosely around Eliza's waist, and Eliza was leaning her head against the werewolf's shoulder.

Rounding out the unique group were Bree, Bonzo, and three z-patrol officers, who had helped to transport most of them from the scene of the fire to the hospital. Two empty chairs sat next the the officers, waiting for Addison and Zed to be discharged from the emergency room.

Wyatt glanced at the clock, surprised to see that it was already four in the morning. Zed and Addison should have been here by now. He glanced to Mayar, who met his eyes with a mirrored look of concern. Maybe Zed's shoulder was worse off than they had assumed. He had figured that the doctors would just have to check him over. Well, and give him a new brace to replace the one he'd wrecked tackling Charon. _Totally worth it,_ Wyatt thought, as he recalled the satisfying sound of the alien's skull thudding hard against the ground. He grinned at the memory.

Then, Mayar nudged Wyatt gently in the side.

"Starlight is coming up the hall," she said, brows turning down lightly. "But Zed isn't with her."

As she had predicted, Addison rounded the corner. She didn't look at all like her normal self, with her messy hair and reddened eyes. The quiet murmuring amongst the group ceased instantly, and everyone seemed to look up at her expectantly.

"Sorry it took me so long to get here," Addison said. Her voice rough, though Wyatt wasn't sure whether it was due to emotion, or the earlier smoke inhalation.

"Zed is in the intensive care unit." She continued. "There were... some complications."

"What? What complications?" Said a suddenly concerned Eliza.

Addison cleared her throat, looking suddenly furious as her expression darkened. "The ambulance tech gave him morphine."

There was a collective gasp from the zombies and Addison's parents, while the rest of the group continued to stare at her blankly. Wyatt had no idea what that meant, but it clearly wasn't anything good.

"Oh my goodness!" Said Addison's mom. "Is he alright?"

"He's going to be fine." Addison assured everyone, though Bonzo and Eliza were shooting each other nearly panicked glances. "But he's going to need constant monitoring for the next few hours, so they admitted him. His dad just got here, and he's in the room with him now. And once Zed's been stabilized, he's going to be having surgery."

Bonzo actually groaned at this, and Bree wrapped both arms around him comfortingly. From what Wyatt knew, it was extremely rare for a zombie to ever require surgery, since they healed so quickly. His injury must have been pretty severe.

"His collarbone is broken into two sections. They're going to have to put it back together with a metal plate. Apparently, he'll be the first zombie patient ever to have a bone repaired surgically."

"Holy moonstone." Wyatt gulped.

"All that being said," Addison continued, taking on a suddenly businesslike tone, "I'd like to get back to him as soon as possible. So, let's get this meeting up and running."

With that, she walked across the room to her parents, hugging them quickly before taking her seat in one of the empty chairs. As a cheerleader, he knew that Addison was good at compartmentalizing so that she could perform well during cheer routines. Wyatt was certain that it was also an ability she had been forced to cultivate, over a lifetime of having to work so hard to blend in with the other humans. He admired her ability to maintain a cool head, because even Wyatt couldn't completely tamp down the worry he felt for his friend. He felt a slight pressure as Mayar's grip briefly tightened on his hand. She was worried, too.

Even without a reciprocal ability to read minds, Wyatt found he was becoming pretty good at reading her. He liked that.

Addison gazed expectantly to Mayar, who nodded after a short moment.

Rapidly disentangling herself from his grasp, Mayar stood and attempted to straighten her wrinkled outfit before addressing the room.

"Hello, everyone." She said, smiling sweetly towards Addison's parents and the other humans in the room. "Most of you know me, but for those of you who don't, my name is Mayar. These are my friends, Qamar and Aruna." She gestured towards the two Lunites, who both smiled and offered nods of greeting. Qamar nudged Bucky, who jolted awake with a yelp.

"And these," Mayar continued, stifling a smile, "Are our elders, Elder Ayla and Elder Badru. They are two of our leaders, and they are here to introduce our people to all of you."

At this, the two Elders stood. Elder Ayla smiled warmly at Dale and Missy.

"Hello," She said, in the undulating, warbling voice that Wyatt now associated with all Lunites. "My name is Ayla, and I am honored and happy to meet you all. Of course, I had hoped it would be under more pleasant circumstances."

Ayla moved forward to where Addison's parents and the council members sat, and gently grasped each of their hands in her own.

Mayor Missy, ever the politician, stood to greet her with a friendly smile. Wyatt couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.

"I am pleased to meet you as well, Ayla. As mayor of Seabrook, I am very interested to hear what you all have to tell us." Missy glanced towards the assorted Lunites in the room, her gaze resting for a brief moment upon each head of white hair. Despite the supposed pleasantries, Wyatt saw that she was nervous as her gaze finally came to rest on Addison. Her_ white-haired _daughter.

"Well, as I'm sure you have already realized, there are a few of us gathered here this morning who look rather different than the rest of you." She gestured good-naturedly at her own cascading waves of snowy hair. "This is because we are a different species. We call ourselves Lunites. Our people came here from the moon that orbits this planet long, long ago. In simpler terms, we are what you would probably call 'aliens.'"

At this, Wyatt watched as the mayor and her husband's mouths both dropped open at the exact same time. The council members and z-patrol officers all wore similar expressions of shock.

"Aliens?" Chief Dale managed. "You're... aliens?"

Ayla nodded. "Yes. However, we have lived on this planet for hundreds of years. We live beneath the ground, in our system of caves and tunnels. But we have always watched and observed the people Above, and hoped that one day we might all be able to live in peace alongside one another."

At this, Badru spoke up as well. "In fact, one of us has lived amongst you for some time. His name is Charon; but you all know him as Charles Moon."

Missy visibly paled at this, and Badru gave her a slightly sympathetic glance as he continued to speak. "He has gained great wealth and power during his time above, and we now know that he has become dangerous as well."

At this statement, there were looks of bewilderment and confusion on the faces of the city council members, but Badru spoke on. "He is currently in possession of a second moonstone. We do not know what his plans are for it, but we are certain that it is nothing good. Especially since he has already attempted to kill several young ones tonight, by setting fire to a Seabrook home."

Wyatt heard a soft crackling sound, and looked down to see Addison's dad clenching his fist so hard that it caused his knuckles to pop. Wyatt felt a similar wave of hot rage rolling over him for the briefest second, until he felt the reassuring pressure of Mayar's hand on his shoulder.

Missy silently slid her hand over Dale's as they listened to the Lunite elders. He couldn't imagine what had was going through their minds at this moment. Surely they were now putting together the fact that their daughter was part alien. What would this mean for his friend?

"Luckily, Charles Moon is now in your custody." Ayla interjected, "and with one of our people assisting your officers in guarding him, we should be able to keep him safely away from everyone else until the moonstone is located."

"My officers should be more than capable of holding him." Chief Dale replied, looking as though he wasn't sure he wanted an unknown alien taking over his officers' duties. "Besides, I've known Charles for years, and I've never seen him so much as raise his voice. What is it that makes your people think he's so dangerous? I haven't even got any evidence that he set the fire tonight."

Ayla and Badru exchanged glances before she continued to speak.

"Well, like every different species, we Lunites have our own unique skills and abilities. Zombies, for example, have enhanced strength and speed. Our skills are slightly different, though. Lunites have the abilities to hear the thoughts and feel the emotions of others. Some of us are also skilled at manipulating these emotions. Charon, in fact, is particularly skilled at manipulating and controlling others, in order to get them to do what he wants."

Mayor Missy's hand tightened it's grip over her husband's fist.

"This is why it is essential to have a Lunite posted near him. One of us will be able to prevent him from escaping, or causing harm to others."

"Elders," Qamar stated, causing multiple heads to swivel in his direction. "I can take first watch."

Bucky was instantly shaking his head in a frantic 'no' motion, but Elder Ayla nodded.

"Thank you, Qamar. You may go once this meeting is concluded; I'm sure that our new friend, Chief Dale, will inform his officers that they should expect you." Elder Ayla smiled as she looked back towards the chief of z-patrol.

Arching an eyebrow, Chief Dale sighed and nodded, quickly pulling out his cellphone and punching a quick message across the screen. Wyatt glanced back to Qamar, only to see that he was having a quiet but intense discussion with Bucky. It seemed as though the school president was very concerned about the Lunite's safety.

What, were they suddenly best friends now or something?

Elder Badru cleared his throat, and the room became silent once again as Elder Ayla continued.

"Now that Charon has been discussed, We can return to the subject at hand. As we stated, it has long been our goal to eventually meet and befriend the people Above, when the time was right. We have seen how well integration has gone here, with the human's acceptance of zombies and werewolves into the community of Seabrook. For this reason, we have decided that it is now time for us to reveal ourselves, and to join you in the Above."

There was a short stretch of absolute silence as the humans seemed to ponder this information.

Wyatt watched the moment teeter, casting glances back and forth between the mayor and the Lunite elders. He couldn't read Mayor Missy's face, and for a moment, he couldn't help but feel concern twisting his insides.

What if she reacted badly?

He vividly remembered a time, not so long ago, when that had been exactly the case.

_Wyatt stood outside of City Hall in his powder blue Seabrook Power coverall, listening to the townspeople. They panicked at the idea of werewolves lurking near their precious community. He was there to gather intel in an inconspicuous fashion, and the coverall and thick glasses served as an excellent disguise. He leaned casually against the wall near the door, using his superior hearing to zone in on the voice of the person he believed to be the alpha. _

_"Mom, Dad, everything is _fine._" Said the white-haired girl, sounding exasperated._

_"Everything is _not_ fine!" An older male voice interjected. "There are werewolves circling us right now, waiting to attack!"_

_"Yeah," replied another male voice. "And I'm way too tasty. I'm always looking like a snack."_

_Wyatt rolled his eyes at the young man's ridiculous comment. As if he'd ever be interested in eating a human. Gross._

_"Somebody has to do something!" The younger male continued._

_"And someone will." Said an authoritative female voice. Wyatt sniffed at the air, recognizing the scent of authority in her tone. This woman was clearly the one in charge of things around here. He heard a slight shuffling and the thudding sound of a bag being thrust into someone's hands._

_"Hold my purse." She said with grim determination, and he listened as the female alpha's pointy shoes clicked towards the front of the large space. There was a sound like a heavy piece of wood being struck repeatedly against a hard surface. Suddenly, her voice boomed over the mingled voices, amplified magically as he winced and cupped his hands over his ears._

_"BY ORDER OF CITY COUNCIL," She said in her unnaturally loud voice, "EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, ALL ANTI-MONSTER LAWS ARE REINSTATED!" _

_The room erupted into a blend of spattered applause and worried discussions. This woman, this leader, was clearly not someone who believed the zombies of her community to be her equal. And apparently, she felt the same way about his kind. _

_The words had stung at Wyatt's heart. _

_How could the people of Seabrook hate wolves so much, when they didn't even know them?_

Mayor Missy cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders, causing Wyatt to snap back to the present. He was about to find out if she still felt the same about monsters, or if she had truly changed.

Then, as he watched, Missy extended both hands, grasping Ayla's and shaking them firmly within her own. Her husband and the other two council members stood as well, smiling.

"Lunites," Mayor Missy said, "On behalf of our fine city, welcome to Seabrook. The more the merrier, I always say. I'm sure that you will love being a part of our community, just as much as we will love having you in it."

Wyatt felt his mouth hanging open, and quickly snapped it shut as the room filled with the sounds of greetings and exchanged handshakes.

_It couldn't be that easy. Could it?_

"Apparently," Mayar said, grinning as she watched the adults exchange pleasantries. "It is. Missy meant what she said."

"I... Honestly can't believe it." Wyatt said, running a hand through his head with a sigh of relief as the room broke into a series of small, quiet conversations. "Things really have changed around here. For the better."

"Yes," she said fondly. "They really have. I never expected this level of acceptance from Starlight's parents, or the other humans for that matter. Of course, some humans may not feel so accepting of us once this story shows up in their televisions and newspapers tomorrow morning."

She looked slightly crestfallen at this, and Wyatt frowned.

"Mayar," He said gently, reaching up and running a thumb along her cheekbone. "How could anyone who met you not love you right away?"

Wyatt felt his throat grow suddenly dry as he realized what he'd said.

_Oh, bones._

His hand froze in place where it rested, cupping her face as he became a statue of tension. He'd been so careful not to say or even think the "L" word around her. He didn't want to scare her away with the intensity of his emotions. They'd only known each other for a couple of weeks!

Of course he loved her. It was impossible not to. He was pretty certain he'd loved her since the moment he woke up in the Crater and looked up at those shimmering green eyes. In fact, he loved her so much that he could barely imagine a life without her in it, now. It had all happened so fast, and now he couldn't live without this beautiful, white haired alien at his side.

He felt the blood drain from his face, knowing that she was hearing each lovesick thought now pouring out of his brain as the floodgates he'd been holding in place spilled forward.

"Mayar," Wyatt gasped, his voice cracking with worry and embarrassment. "I—"

She pulled at his arm, then, quickly spiriting them out of the waiting area and into the dimly lit hallway. Once they had rounded the corner into the secluded hall, Wyatt braved a glance at her face. To his astonishment and relief, she did not look horrified or angry, as he'd fully expected her to.

She looked... _oh._

Before he could process it, her lips were crashing into his with fervor, and he was responding with equal enthusiasm. The world seemed to blur at the edges, and for a moment he forgot about all of the chaos awaiting them in the room around the corner. They stayed like this, intertwined for several long moments.

It was paradise, and a spark of hope ignited within his heart.

"Wyatt," she said, pulling back at him and giggling sweetly. Everything about her was sweet.

"I love you, too." She said earnestly." I hadn't said anything because_ I _didn't want to rush _you._ You are the only person for me. Ever."

He blinked, his chest feeling more full of joy than it ever had.

"You... You love me? Really?" He said, releasing a small laugh of his own.

"How," she asked as she echoed his own words, "could anyone who met you not love you right away?" She leaned in again. This kiss was less heated than before. This kiss was instead filled with love and life, and promise for the future.

And there, in the dimly lit hallway of the Seabrook Medical Emergency Room, Wyatt's existence changed. His heart no longer belonged to him. His heart now fully belonged to the Lunite standing before him.

His love.

His mate.


	45. Chapter 45

Surprise, all! I know it's not December yet, but I decided to take a day off of NaNoWriMo, for my own sanity. Instead, I used today's writing time to finish out this chapter. I don't know whether I will take another "off" day to update again this month. But in any case, I really hope you still enjoy getting this update!

Your reviews give me life, and I love you all.

Stay safe out there!

ZzZzZzZ

"Breaking News this morning in the City of Seabrook." A crisp female voice announced.

"That's right, Zenaidah." A second voice chimed in, this one male. "Last night, Seabrook city officials learned that there is yet another race of individuals living amongst us. Mayor Missy and a special guest are joining us in the studio this morning, to provide more information regarding this exciting announcement."

Zed stirred, his brain latching onto the voices as he tried to make sense of their meaning. What were they talking about? Had he fallen asleep on the couch watching the television again? He must have come home after hanging out with the guys at the cemetery, and been too tired to make it upstairs. Maybe his dad had turned on the news.

"Good morning, Seabrook." Mayor Missy's voice spoke. "Today, I am thrilled to introduce our fine city to our newest citizens, the Lunites."

Zed's eyes snapped open.

For the second time in as many weeks, he found that he was not in his own house. Instead, he was yet again staring up at a pea-green ceiling with peeling paint. He turned his head from side to side, brows furrowed as he took in the familiar dim lights, lumpy bed, and washed out walls.

He was... Back in the hospital?

Zed turned his attention back to the little television, feeling his mouth pop open as he watched Addison's mom introducing an older female Lunite, who was smiling happily at the screen. They were discussing who and what the Lunites were, where they lived, and various other attributes of their people and culture. On the Seabrook Morning News!

What had happened last night, to out the Lunites and land him in the hospital?

Over the white cotton hospital gown, Zed rubbed his shoulder out of habit. He was expecting his fingers to brush against the now familiar brace, but to his surprise, he found nothing there. Actually, now that he thought about it, his shoulder felt better. Much better than it had felt, in fact, since the night of the Zombietown fires. The constant sharp, aching sensation was no longer there. He lifted the hospital gown to examine his shoulder, and found a neat line of stitches there. This was a little alarming, but it wasn't painful at all.

However, there was a different pain further down his arm, a familiar pain that he hadn't felt since he'd hacked his z-band so long ago.

Zed glanced down to his left wrist, surprised to see that the skin there was reddened and burned.

"Ow." He mumbled, reaching out with his other hand to rub the tender area around the band. What in the world was going on? What had happened to his wrist? He definitely hadn't been trying to hack it this time.

On the television, the Lunite female was still talking. Mayor Missy and the other two news anchors were asking her several questions, all of which she answered politely. For whatever reason, the Lunites had apparently decided to do their big reveal a few days ahead of schedule. Which was probably a good thing, considering everything that was going on. But he wondered what had caused the sudden change of heart. From what Qamar and the others had said, their elders had been dead set against changing their plans from announcing themselves at the Shore Day Festival.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Zed's dad strode into the room holding a paper bag filled with pastries, and a folded up newspaper. He looked tired, but his face brightened instantly as his eyes met Zed's.

"Hey, look who's awake! How're you feeling, son?"

"Um... Confused." Zed admitted, not even sure which question he should start with. "How'd I end up in the hospital? What happened to my shoulder? And my z-band? I swear, Dad, I wasn't messing with it—"

"Whoa, slow down, kiddo." Zevon said, raising up a hand to calmly halt Zed's line of questioning. "I'm a little confused about the details myself. But you don't have to worry. Everyone got out of the fire okay, and that Charles Moon guy is still in jail."

Zed stared at him, feeling even more confused than he had been a moment before. He had no idea what his dad was talking about.

"...What fire?" He asked, settling on the first part of the statement. There seemed to be a huge amount of information that Zed was missing. And his dad was looking at him with an increasing amount of concern.

"Son, what's the last thing you remember about last night?" His Dad asked.

"Um," Zed replied thoughtfully. "I was sitting on top of the hill with the guys, talking and looking down at the lights. Wyatt took us up there last night, after we went to the bowling alley. Then..." He paused, waiting for the rest of the story to fill itself in. But there was nothing. "Then, I woke up in here, with stitches on my shoulder and fresh burns around my z-band."

His dad looked a little concerned at this, but was clearly trying to sound calm and lighthearted with his vocal tone.

"Well, the stitches I can tell you about." Zevon stated happily. "Congratulations, son. You're the fist zombie patient in history to ever have orthopedic surgery."

"What?" Zed asked, in complete shock. He'd only heard of a few zombies ever having surgery, and had never met any of them, personally. And those had been due to severe illnesses, a phenomena that rarely occurred in his species. Zombies were generally a pretty consistently healthy bunch. "Why did I have to have surgery?"

"Well, I guess you don't remember, but apparently last night you tackled that Charles Moon guy hard enough to shatter your shoulder into multiple pieces. You have two metal plates and several screws in your left shoulder, now."

Zed was speechless for a moment. He really _had_ missed a lot. . "So...I tackled Charon... And there was a fire... And the Lunites are on the news."

Zed felt a pang of guilt. He had promised his dad, not too long ago, that he would stop keeping secrets from him. That he would keep him in the loop. And here, he'd been keeping a huge secret this whole time; the existence of an entire other species.

"I'm sorry, Dad." Zed said, looking up at his father from the bed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the Lunites. I was supposed to be more honest with you, and I didn't do it."

But Zed's dad just smiled. "Don't feel bad about that, Zed. It wasn't your secret to tell. And besides," he said, nodding his head towards the television. "It's not exactly a secret anymore."

"I see that." Zed replied, glancing back up at the screen and watching as the female Lunite showed the cameras her glowing hair, and the news anchors gasped in surprise and delight. For a moment, he and his dad watched in silence. Zed couldn't help but be amazed at how far the humans of Seabrook had come. He wondered how the Lunites would have fared, if they had decided to reveal themselves only a few years earlier.

"So," Zed finally asked. "What exactly _did _happen last night?"

Zevon frowned. "I think I'll let Addison fill you in on everything. She ran home to change clothes, but she should be back any second. She was there, so she knows a lot more than I do. In the meantime, I'm going to find the doctor and let them know that you're having some memory issues."

At that moment, the hospital room door opened again, and a clean and refreshed-looking Addison tiptoed in, clearly expecting him to be asleep. She was wearing pale green skinny jeans, white sneakers and a pink hoodie, which was emblazoned with a giant, metallic green mighty shrimps she looked up and her eyes met Zed's, he watched her face break into a wide, brilliant smile. The sunlight that filtered in through the window made her hair shine.

_Jeez, she's beautiful._ He thought.

Addison practically sprinted past Zevon and through the little room, rushing to gently take Zed's hands.

"Zed!" She said, her voice filled with relief. "I'm so glad to see you. We were all so worried." She reached out to run a hand through his hair, and he sighed and leaned into her touch.

Behind her, Zevon was grinning. "I'm stepping out to talk to the doctor for a minute, kids. Addison, you may need to fill Zed in on a few things from last night. His memory is a little fuzzy at the moment."

_More like completely missing_. Zed grumbled internally.

Addison squeezed his hand in a comforting gesture as his dad walked out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him. She looked back to Zed, and the inner knot of tension that he hadn't realized was building in his chest loosened. Addison's presence always made everything better. Even waking up in a hospital with no memory of how he got there.

"So you don't remember anything?" She asked, worry etched into her facial expression as she continued to stroke his hair. She sat halfway onto the bed, and he scooted over to make space for her.

"I just remember being at the cemetery with the guys, and then waking up here this morning. What happened with the Lunites? They were just on the news! And Charon's in jail?"

Addison placed a soothing hand on his cheek. "Don't worry, zandgrome. I'll explain everything."

ZzZzZzZ

As it turned out, dissociative amnesia was a fairly common side effect of trauma, which Zed had definitely experienced plenty of the night before. There was also a good chance that the morphine had messed with his memory, as well. Addison had thought that once she explained the events of the night before, he would regain some memories. But it was just a giant blank space in his head. It was pretty bizarre, to listen to and feel such a thing in his head. It was like someone had taken an eraser, and simply wiped away words that had been written on a chalkboard. It was just gone.

He didn't remember the house fire, or that he'd thought she was dead, or that he and the others had attacked Charon in retaliation. To be honest, Addison was glad that he didn't remember some of it. She would never forget how upset he'd been, and how much her supposed demise had broken him.

No, she didn't mind him forgetting that part at all.

Addison had stood behind the bed, listening as the doctor spoke to Zed and Zevon. She was explaining what side effects Zed should expect as he recovered, both from the surgery and from the morphine. Thanks to the morphine, Zed would have additional scarring on his wrist, due to the many strong electric jolts he had received. His chest would also be sore for a few days, due to the fact that he had basically died and come back to life multiple times throughout the early morning hours.

His dad was, rightfully, pretty mad about the morphine incident, and they had been assured that the young EMT had been reprimanded. He would be receiving additional training, to prevent any similar incidents from occurring in the future. They were also now making it mandatory that all ambulance and emergency workers take classes on zombie-specific health and medical treatments.

In Addison's opinion, this should already have been a requirement. It shouldn't have taken Zed getting hurt for something this important to be made a general policy. But Zevon and Zed both seemed satisfied with it, and weren't going to press charges against the hospital or ambulance service.

Zed was discharged shortly after the doctor spoke with them, with strict instructions to take it easy for the rest of the day. His shoulder, at least, felt immeasurably better thanks to the surgery. As it turned out, the bone had never healed correctly in the first place. Had they not ended up doing the surgery, he probably would have experienced pain issues in his shoulder for the rest of his life, and would probably never have been able to play football again.

On the positive side, thanks to Zed and the other guys, Charon was behind bars. Now, everyone knew what he really was, and what he had been up to. So far, there was no sign of the second moonstone. And so far, Charon had not let slip to anyone what he had been planning in the first place. Qamar was still at the jail helping to guard him. Later today, Mayar would be taking his place, so that he could go home and rest. Charon wasn't the type of being that you wanted a tired or unfocused person to be guarding.

Until the second moonstone was found, Charon needed to be safely locked away.

Addison found herself pondering the moonstone now, as she, Zed and Zevon sat and waited for Zed's release paperwork to be completed.

Where could it possibly be? It hadn't been at his home, which had now been searched by z-patrol officers. And it definitely hadn't been in Building Z, which was now in ruins. She thought back on the drawing that Qamar had made that day at the city council meeting. Each detail of the little picture was burned into her mind. The stone, suspended from ropes, swaying back and forth. The dark, cobwebbed room, and what looked like chain link fencing in the background.

Now that she was thinking about it, she paused. There hadn't been a tarp covering the stone in the drawing, as their had been in the picture. And the criss-cross pattern in the darkened background was far too large and close to the moonstone to have been the cages that she saw at Building Z.

Addison shuddered involuntarily as she thought of the cages again.

So, maybe, the drawing hadn't been completely wrong after all. Maybe Qamar really had drawn where the moonstone was hidden, and they'd just ended up in the wrong location. Charon had prepared for that, and set his trap in a place that looked just similar enough that they wouldn't notice the differences. But where else could it possibly be? She couldn't think of another spot in all of Seabrook that was so dark and dreary, with chain link fencing in the background. She felt like she was missing something obvious, but had no idea what it could be.

"Ads?" Zed's voice cut into her silent reverie, and Addison's head twisted up instantly to face him.

"The paperwork is done." Zed said, sliding out of the bed. They had let him put his clothes back on after the doctor had spoken with them. They were covered in grass stains, from his wrestling match with Charon on Bree's neighbor's front lawn.

"Let's go home." Zevon said.

Since Addison had gone with Zed in the ambulance the night before, she didn't have her car. Her mom would be coming to pick her up at the Eliza's house, once they had gotten Zed settled on the couch and made sure that he was alright. But, memory loss aside, Zed actually seemed to be doing well. He was definitely moving better and acting peppier than he had been in days. She wondered how much pain he must have been in this entire time, without ever uttering a single complaint. An improperly healed bone had to be awful to walk around with. Not to mention tackle a person to the ground with.

Zed was one of the toughest people she had ever known.

Tough or not, though, all patients were required to ride in a wheelchair when leaving the hospital. So Zed sat, looking slightly embarrassed, as Addison and Zevon walked alongside him with the young zombie orderly pushing the wheelchair. Once they made it down the elevator and out of the front door, the orderly allowed him to stand. They wished the little group a good day, and then quickly sauntered back into the sliding hospital doors, wheelchair in tow.

The bus that would take them to Zombietown arrived just two minutes later, and they all boarded it gladly. Addison had never ridden in a city bus before, and was a little excited to experience public transportation. Zed laughed as she took in the bus with a huge grin, and he allowed her to take the window seat next to him so that she could look out at the ocean while they rode. Zevon sat two seats ahead of them, immediately leaning his head back onto the seat and closing his eyes for a short nap.

Zed leaned his own head atop Addison's, sighing contentedly and dozing off almost instantly. She could hear the odd, half formed dreams in his sleeping brain within a minute. They largely involved her, and frequently involved some or all of their friends. One short dream included his mom and a tiny Zed standing on a step stool. His mom was showing him how to make rice-krispy treats. Addison resolved to take a trip to the grocery store for the right supplies, so that she could make some for him sometime soon.

Addison watched out the window as the wall of trees gave way to a spectacular view of the beach. Since everyone in school was out on vacation today, there were plenty of humans, zombies and wolves around, all enjoying the sea and sand. Now that the Lunites had gone public, Addison was sure that they would soon be mingled in amongst the other beach-goers. The thought made her smile joyfully.

As they drove past the pier which was built along the cove, she could see a variety of rides and attractions set up. A few boats bobbed happily back and forth in the water surrounding it. Nearby, there was a stage in place, where they would be doing their cheer routine in just two days. Addison was going to have to get some sleep before their practice today, which Bucky had blessedly rescheduled to seven at night rather than seven this morning. But for now, she could just sit and enjoy the sights through the little window.

Between the lovely beach view and listening to Zed's dreams, Addison had a pleasant first bus ride experience.

She didn't think about the moonstone again all morning.


	46. Chapter 46

Author's Note: (Sorry in advance for the long note)

Well, good news and bad news. The bad news is that, despite my best efforts, I have contracted COVID-19. Therefore, I will be spending the next two weeks quarantined at home. Thus far, I am feeling ill, but not unbearably so.

The good news is that, as long as my symptoms do not worsen, I now basically have two weeks of unlimited time in which to write. I am officially switching back from my NaNo project to continue working on this one, because, frankly, it's been a cruddy month, and this fic and this fandom bring me joy.

I hope this update finds you all well, and know that you all mean so much to me! I have not updated my tumblr recently, but have plans to do so, soon. Follow me at Swarthy-Warthog on tumblr.

Y'all are wonderful and beautiful and fabulous and loved. Please take care of yourselves out there.

ZzZzZzZ

"Bucky?"

Bucky jumped up from his slumped position against the sky blue bench. He was sitting in the lobby of the Z-Patrol Station in Downtown Seabrook. He had apparently dozed off, and his neck ached as he abruptly straightened up in his seat. Looking up, he saw a tired but bemused Qamar gazing down at him. He was still in his human clothes, though the dark blue t-shirt was ripped in a few places, and covered in stains from the grass and mud he had rolled around in the night before. And of course, he was still barefoot.

"Oh! Uh. Hey, Qamar." Bucky said, inwardly cursing his traitorous face as his cheeks burned. Bucky was partially relieved to see that Qamar seemed unharmed after his session guarding Charon, and partially humiliated that Qamar had caught him drooling on a bench.

The plan had been to show up and act as though he were simply there by coincidence, maybe by saying he was visiting his Uncle Dale or something. That way, Bucky could assuage his weirdly obsessive concern for the snow-haired alien without looking like a complete stalker. Unfortunately for him, he was exhausted from the overnight dramatics, and had apparently dozed off. His neck was throbbing slightly.

How long had he been sleeping on this stupid bench?

"What time is it?" Bucky asked, glancing around the clean, quiet lobby for a clock.

"It's a little after eleven in the morning. Mayar just came to take over guard duty for me, but she said you were out here, sleeping. Why are you here?"

So much for going with the "I was just visiting my uncle" plan. He was caught red-handed.

Bucky sighed.

"Okay, the thing is, I'm sure that you can handle yourself just fine." Bucky said, raising a hand as if to accentuate his point. "But this Charon guy is a real creep, and I just... I was worried, okay? I thought someone else should be here with you."

Qamar's eyebrows rose up, nearly disappearing in the disheveled locks of hair that had fallen from the bun atop his head.

"You came here, to the Z-Patrol station, and slept on a bench in the lobby, because you were worried about me?"

Bucky felt his shoulders tense. He couldn't think of a single way to come out of this looking even remotely smooth or cool. For one of the first times in his life, Bucky felt incredibly self-concious. He didn't like it.

"Ah... Yeah." Bucky replied, almost sighing the words in defeat as he nervously ran a hand through his hair. He was scrambling for a way to get out of this conversation with his dignity at least partially intact, when Qamar's face broke into a wide grin.

"That was... Really kind of you Bucky. Thanks." Qamar said, sounding sincerely appreciative.

Bucky felt his shoulders slump slightly in relief.

"But seriously," Qamar continued. "You didn't need to be worried. I am more than capable of handling Charon."

Bucky wasn't sure about that. He wasn't sure any of them were, by themselves. It had taken four of them last night to subdue the guy, plus Bucky's added kick to the head. But in any case, Qamar was safe now, and he felt pathetically relieved to see that the guy was alright.

"Well," Bucky said, steering the conversation resolutely away from Charon. "Since I'm here, do you need a ride back the forest?"

For a second, Qamar looked absolutely lost.

"A ride?" He said, tilting his head inquisitively to one side. Then, he seemed to understand, and he grinned again. "Oh, you mean in a car? I've never been in a car." His expression shifted from confusion to an almost child-like excitement. It was...well, adorable.

"Well, then," Bucky said enthusiastically. "Your chariot awaits." He gestured towards the wide glass doors that lead outside with a flourish of his arm and a slight bow.

Qamar actually laughed at this, but then looked slightly concerned. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

_Right, like driving a cute guy around was in any way inconvenient. _Bucky thought to himself.

"No inconvenience at all," Bucky said. "It's practically on the way home, anyway."

It wasn't.

Bucky didn't know what was wrong with him, these past few weeks. Since when did Bucky Buchanan go out of his way to take care of anyone besides himself? Or occasionally his cousin, Addison. Was this what being a good person was like? Or was this something else entirely?

"Well," Qamar said. "Then yes, that would be great. I was going to take the tunnels back, but that would take a while. Plus, I'd like to see more of the Above during the daylight."

Bucky took the lead as they both walked together to the large glass doors that led outside. Sunlight streamed into the lobby, and Qamar squinted as they stepped into the daylight. Bucky recalled that the Lunites now had moonstone necklaces to keep them from getting sick in the daytime. In fact, he could see the leather cord of a necklace peeking out from his companion's torn shirt. But, he supposed, it must still seem impossibly bright in the sunny town of Seabrook. Especially after a lifetime of living in darkness.

They stepped through the doors and out into the bright morning.

The air was crisp and cool, but not unbearably so. Bucky had run home to shower and change after leaving the hospital, and was comfortably dressed in tan slacks and a mint green shirt. He also his cheer varsity jacket on, modified to say "President" rather than "Captain" on the back.

As they approached Bucky's car, which was parked just outside the station, he heard Qamar snort with laughter.

"Seriously?" Qamar chuckled, looking from Bucky to the vehicle and back again.

Bucky's car was, technically speaking, school property. It hadn't been easy to convince Principal Lee that the school president needed his own vehicle, but he had of course managed it. After all, image was everything in Seabrook. It wouldn't do to have the president of Seabrook High driving around in some boring, average car.

The little electric car had four seats and was a hatchback, so that cheer and presidential supplies could be easily transported, as well as other students on the council if needed. The vehicle itself was completely covered in a flashy pink and green holographic wrap, with a mighty shrimp logo emblazoned on the hood. Both sides of the vehicle had a large photo of a beaming Bucky on them, brandishing his trademark jazz hands. "SEABROOK HIGH SCHOOL PRESIDENT" was written in neat script below the images of Bucky's smiling face.

"That's... Quite a vehicle." Qamar managed, looking as though he were trying desperately not to laugh.

"It's not much," Bucky countered, shaking his head with slight disappointment. "I tried to talk Principal Lee into getting a limo with a full time chauffer, but she said that it was a 'ridiculous waste of taxpayer dollars.'"

Bucky had scoffed at that. He didn't agree with the sentiment that his transportation was a waste of the public coffers. After all, the real president was driven around in a limo all of the time. And Bucky was pretty sure that they basically did the same amount of work.

To his side, Qamar was now doubled over and shaking with muffled laughter. Bucky had no idea what that was about, but decided to ignore the alien's strange behavior. He was new to Seabrook, after all. Maybe all of the new sights and sounds were a bit overwhelming.

Bucky pulled the key fob from his pocket, unlocking the car with a cheerful chirping sound. Hesitantly, Qamar stepped towards the passenger's side door, placing his hand along the handle. After a short moment of studying it, he figured out how to work the mechanism, and pulled the door open easily. Then, from behind him, Bucky heard a familiar voice that made his stomach clench into an uncomfortable knot.

"Bucky!" Lacey's incredulous voice resounded up the mostly empty sidewalk, and he could hear the padding of her sneakers against the concrete as she rushed to catch up with him.

This was not good.

He briefly considered running into the car and speeding away, but he knew it was already too late to avoid her. She could seem a little air-headed at times, but Lacey had a keen sense of awareness, and would know if he blatantly ignored her. She would also know that he was giving someone of another species a ride in his car, a decidedly un-Bucky thing to do.

As Bucky turned to face her, he could feel his winning smile snapping rigidly into place. But inside, he was terrified. Just last night, he had promised himself that he was going to be a better person. That he wouldn't leave behind the same legacy of prejudice that his forefathers had left. He hadn't expected his new resolve to be tested so soon.

But even as his eyes met hers, he realized that this time, it was going to be different. He was going to be different. Bucky knew where he stood, now, and there was no going back. He was going to do the right thing, even if it meant social suicide. He gulped at the thought.

_Here goes nothing._

"Bucky," Lacey said, looking from him to Qamar, who was frozen in the act of sliding into the car. "What... What are you _doing_? Is that one of those _aliens _that are all over the news this morning?" She said 'aliens' like it was a dirty word. She crinkled her nose delicately.

_You can do this, Bucky. _He told himself, and straightened his back.

"Hey, Lacey." Bucky replied pleasantly, tilting his head lightly to one side in greeting. "This is my friend, Qamar. He's a Lunite, and I'm giving him a little tour of our town."

Qamar arched an eyebrow, and then took a few short steps to stand beside him, extending his hand as though to shake Lacey's in greeting. Lacey looked at his outreached hand with the same enthusiasm one might show when being offered a live snake, and actually took a step back. Not looking surprised in the slightest, Qamar simply shrugged and dropped his hand to his side.

"Your... Friend?" Lacey choked out, eyes wide with incomprehension.

"Lacey," Bucky said, his voice sounding far more confident and haughty than he felt at the moment. "I'm Bucky Buchanan. Cheer Champion. School President. I can be friends with whoever I want. Do you have a problem with that?"

He stared down at her, like a parent challenging a petulant child.

For a moment, Lacey simply stood with her mouth hanging open, and her eyes still darting back and forth between the two men. Then, to Bucky's silent relief, her shoulders sagged in defeat.

"N-no, of course not. I just—"

"Great!" Bucky said, clapping his hands together to form a sharp hand clasp. "In that case, I'll see you tonight at seven for cheer practice." He offered her his most charming, yet threatening smile possible.

She nodded mutely.

"Pleasure to meet you." Qamar said dryly in his undulating voice, with a slight upward twist of his lips. For such a normally stoic guy, he sure was smiling a lot today.

"Um, You too?" Lacey squeaked out, sounding more like a panicked question than a reply. "See you tonight, Bucky."

With that, Lacey turned on her heel and walked back in the other direction, towards the group of shops from which she had just come. Bucky let out a relieved puff of air as he watched her retreat.

"She seems nice." Qamar said, voice practically oozing sarcasm.

"She's not." Bucky replied. "Let's go."

He nodded towards the little vehicle, and they both walked over and climbed into their respective seats without further started the engine, which was almost imperceptibly quiet. Checking his mirrors, he quickly and efficiently backed up, and then pulled away from the parking spot in front of the Z-Patrol Station. There weren't many cars out and about yet, but as he drove, there were more and more people, wolves and zombies milling about in the shops and restaurants.

"You know," Qamar said, after a minute of silence. "For someone who's thoughts I can hear, you surprise me quite frequently."

Bucky cocked his head to the side, sparing his passenger a quick glance as they reached a stop light. He still wasn't exactly sure how that whole mind-reading thing worked, and could only hope that the guy didn't know how often Bucky had been checking him out, lately. _That _would be a disaster.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Bucky asked, looking back to the road and pressing his foot down on the accelerator as the light changed back to green.

"Definitely a good thing." Qamar said with a nod, looking with interest at the many different stores and businesses as they passed. "Lunites are many things, but 'surprised' is not generally one of them." He grinned. "I like being surprised. Humans are turning out to be much more complicated than I gave you all credit for."

Bucky laughed a little at this. "Well, I guess I'll just have to keep surprising you, then."

Chancing another glance as Qamar chuckled, he could see that the Lunite's cheeks had changed from their pale pink to an odd, bluish tone.

"Are you okay?" Bucky asked, halting at a stop sign before turning right on the main road, which would lead out of downtown and towards the forest. "Your face looks, like, blue."

"I'm great." Qamar said quickly, his face flushing an even brighter shade of bluish-purple. Was periwinkle the right color to describe it?

"Bucky," Qamar said, apparently hoping to change the subject. "Why is it that you care so much about what the Aceys and other people think of you?"

This question stumped Bucky, and he pondered it for a moment before answering. It had never occurred to him to wonder why it was so important to be popular. He only knew that it was. He had spent his whole life being taught by his family and peers that being popular meant being successful. And being successful meant being the best. And wasn't that the point of it all, to be the best?

He wasn't so sure, lately. Bucky recalled himself shouting out to the cheer recruits many times that there was nothing better in life than to hear you're number one. But was it, really? Being the best sure felt awfully lonely, sometimes.

"Honestly?" Bucky said, not sure why he was being so candid with Qamar. "Because it's the only thing I know how to do. Being the best and most important person is the only thing I've ever cared about."

"So I thought," Qamar replied. "But the more I talk to you, the less I think that it's really true."

"What do you mean?" Bucky asked, cocking an eyebrow as he wound through the trees on the two lane road. He was taking the long route, because this one featured a particularly terrific view.

"Well," said Qamar, raising his hand and using his fingers to count as he spoke. "You love your cousin, and basically care for her like she is a sibling to you. You care about your cheerleaders, and their safety, or you wouldn't have helped the zombie students that day at the school. You care about doing what's right, or you wouldn't have stopped us from killing Charon last night."

Bucky winced slightly at that, recalling the feel of Charon's head connecting hard against his shoe.

"And," Qamar continued, "you care about being a good person more than you care about your reputation. Otherwise, you would have ditched me back at the station just now, the minute you saw Lacey. You're... a good person, Bucky."

Bucky was shocked into a surprised silence. He had no idea how to respond to those statements. Of all the things Bucky believed himself to be, caring had never even made the list. Handsome, cunning, athletic, sure. But... A good person? That was never something he thought would be said about him. And certainly never something he'd ever cared to try to be, until recently.

Bucky looked back over to Qamar to reply, but was distracted. For the first time, he noticed that Qamar was gripping the sides of his seat tightly, and his teeth were clenched together.

"What's wrong?" Bucky asked, taken aback by how at odds his posture seemed with the tone of his voice.

"Nothing," Qamar said, now revealing a slight strain in his voice. "Cars are just, ah, faster than I had imagined. Way faster than running."

Bucky laughed that this. "Well, that's saying something, because you can run pretty fast. But don't worry," he bragged. "I have an excellent driving record."

Bucky grinned as he reached the crest of the hill that sloped down towards the hospital, and the trees gave way to the spectacular view of the beach. The waves were crashing serenely, and a flock of seagulls were making lazy loops around the pier in the distance. Sunshine reflected down off of the water like a glittering mirror. The upper part of the beach was now covered in a variety of partially set up rides and booths. Shore day was in just two days, now.

"By the moon," Qamar gasped, leaning forward in his chair as Bucky slowed the vehicle, so that his passenger could properly take in the scenery. For a moment, Qamar was silent, and simply stared outward towards the ocean.

"This is the first time I've ever seen the sea." He breathed.

Bucky's smile softened. He couldn't imagine growing up and never having seen the ocean. He and Addy has spent many a day here, practicing cheer stunts on the damp sand, swimming, and collecting seashells. Nestled between the forest and the ocean, Seabrook really was a beautiful place to be.

"Do you want to see it up close?" Bucky asked suddenly. He knew that they both needed to get home and rest. But Qamar's awe of the beach was endearing, and he suddenly found himself wanting to show him more of it.

Qamar's face broke into a rare, genuinely happy smile, without a trace of sarcasm to be seen.

"Can we?" He asked excitedly.

"Sure," Bucky said, making a quick turn onto the road that led down to one of the beach's parking areas. "We can't stay long, but we can take a quick walk if you want. I'll even go barefoot with you."

Qamar laughed. "Sounds excellent." He was almost bouncing in the seat with anticipation, his apparent anxiety of being in a car having evaporated.

Bucky parked the car in a spot near one of the lifeguard's huts, and turned off the ignition. It was a little cool, and a breeze chilled him slightly as he opened the car door. But he could handle a little cold, if it meant spending a little more time with Qamar. Bucky slipped off his shoes, and set them in the back seat of his car.

Together, they walked briskly towards the water. To Bucky's surprise, Qamar reached over and took his hand, pulling him towards the ocean like a child trying to hurry their parent along.

"Come on!" He warbled. "Let's go!"


	47. Chapter 47

Hope you are all having a wonderful week, so far.

Your reviews literally make my day, thank you sooo much for all of the awesome responses! In this update, we find out what happened to Bree's sister, and we hear a little from Mayor Missy's perspective.

Much love to you all, and enjoy!

ZzZzZzZ

Eliza sat on the top step of her front porch, absentmindedly picking at the tassels of one of the many decorative lampshades that decorated the exterior of the home. Zevon, Zed and Addison had arrived just a few moments ago, and they were in the process of getting Zed situated on the couch, where he would be made to rest for the remainder of the day. Not that he would actually do it. Knowing Zed, he'd probably be playing with Zoey and Puppy as soon as Addison left and his dad returned to their house to finish moving furniture.

Her best friend could be ridiculously stubborn, and was a notoriously bad patient. Bonzo wasn't much better, for that matter.

As she sat and pondered her odd choice in friends, Addison came through the front door, coming over to take a seat on the stoop next to Eliza.

"How's it going, cheerleader?" Eliza said with a tired grin. She'd gotten a few hours of sleep, but it was hard to sleep soundly with such a full house. After today, though, things would be back to normal, and the guys would be in their newly renovated houses.

"Good." Addison responded. "As long as Zed actually stays on the couch and rests like he's supposed to."

Eliza snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that." She glanced over to Addison. "You waiting on your mom?"

"Yeah," Addison replied, pulling her hands into the sleeves of her hoodie to keep them warm.

They sat and watched as a family of humans walk by, a mother and father pushing two pink strollers. It was still crazy to Eliza, how blended everything had become. It was now perfectly normal to see a human family walking down her street, a sight that would have been shocking only a few years back. The sight suddenly reminded Eliza of another human family she had recently seen pictures of.

"Ads?" Eliza asked, suddenly.

"Hmm?" Addison replied, turning her head to face Eliza's questioningly.

"It's not my business, but... What happened to Bree's sister? I saw her in the pictures in the safe room last night. But I've never even heard Bree mention having a sibling. Is she...?" She didn't want to finish the sentence.

"Dead?" Addison replied, looking sad. "Yeah. She died like, ten years ago, back when Bree was only seven or eight." She paused. "Haven't you ever heard of the Brighten tragedy? It was big news when it happened. I didn't even know Bree at the time, but I still remember hearing adults talk about it."

"Zombies never really used to get much news from the human side of the barrier." Eliza said with a shrug. "And we didn't have the same access to television or internet until after integration."

Addison nodded sadly. Eliza wasn't sure if she looked sad because of the mistreatment of zombies, or because of the story she was about to tell.

"Well, the Brighten tragedy was the last known case of a human being killed by a rogue zombie."

Eliza's head snapped up at that.

"I don't know the zombie's name, but he escaped the barrier one day. He smashed his z-band, on purpose. No one knows why. But he wandered through the woods, feral, until he came across Bree's family's house. It was random, I don't think he even knew who they were. But he broke into the house. Bree's little sister, Bailey, was the first human he came across, and... well."

At that, Eliza felt her eyes grow as wide as saucers. Because suddenly, she did know this story, though she hadn't thought about it in years. But in Zombietown, they had a different name for it.

"The Zen Incident." Eliza gasped. "Holy brains."

"What?" Addison asked, looking confused.

"Zombies have a different name for that day." Eliza said, feeling dread forming in her stomach. "We called it the Zen Incident. The zombie you're talking about was named Zen. He was a real monster, even with his z-band on. He would scream and yell at everyone, steal things, start fights. But worst of all, he used to beat up his girlfriend and his little kid. He was awful to them, Addy."

"That's horrible." Addison gasped.

"Yes, it was. And we all thought that Zen couldn't possibly be any worse than he already was. Until one day, his girlfriend finally had enough. The beatings and abuse were getting so bad, that she was afraid for her kid's life. So she kicked Zen out, and told him never to come back."

"Good for her." Addison affirmed.

"Yes," continued Eliza, her voice tight with anxiety as she recalled what happened next. "It was good for her and their son. But Zen was furious. He climbed the barrier, somehow, and got out. Once he was in the woods, he found a rock or something to smash his z-band. Some people think that his plan was to go back into the barrier and kill his family, but once his band was off, he didn't have the sense to remember who he wanted to attack. So he wandered around, until he found a house that he could break into easily. Bree's house."

Eliza felt ill as she recalled the rest of the story. "He got inside, and went after the first human he could get his hands on. Bree's little sister, as it turns out. By the time Z-Patrol arrived and took him down, it was already too late for her."

Addison nodded, sadly. "Yeah, the whole thing was just... horrible. Bree has only ever talked to me about it once or twice. It sounds like the only thing good to come out of that awful day was that Zen's family got away from him."

"Yeah," said Eliza, but she could hear the off tone in her own voice. There was more to the story that Addison didn't know. Probably that no humans knew, because zombies were never mentioned by name in human news, back in those days. They weren't important enough to have names.

"Eliza," Addison said. "You're leaving something out of the story, aren't you? I can feel it."

Eliza met her eyes.

"Yeah," she replied flatly. "I am."

"What is it?" Addison asked, brows dipped down. "What could possibly make this story worse than it already is?"

"Zen's family." Eliza replied. "The girlfriend and the son. They're still around. They live here on this street, actually. And the son is our age, now."

"He is?" Addison asked, eyes wide. "Does he go to school with us? Who is it?"

"Addy," Eliza said, feeling completely overwhelmed by the twist this conversation had taken. "Zen's son... is Bonzo. Bonzo's dad is the one who killed Bree's sister."

ZzZzZzZ

Missy let out a delicate yawn as she drove her little car towards Zombietown, where Addison was waiting at her friend Eliza's house to be picked up. Missy wasn't normally the type of person to take naps, but though that she might make an exception, this afternoon. Her honey-colored hair wafted in the breeze that streamed through her window, which was cracked open. The cool air helped her to stay alert, despite being abnormally exhausted.

It had been a very long morning, with a very early start.

When she had seen the group of white-haired people gathered amongst Addison's friends in the crowded emergency room, she had known that something very significant was about to take place. Immediately, she was certain that this all had something to do with Addison's biological father, someway, somehow. Especially once she saw the look that her daughter exchanged with the girl who was embracing that werewolf boy, Wyatt. The girl, who couldn't have been more than five feet tall, had cheekbones and a chin that were replicas of her Addison's face. And, well... _his _face.

But while Missy had known that something big was about to happen, she had not expected to learn that there was a race of aliens living amongst them. Which meant that her own child, her Addison, was not entirely human, herself. Though this particular revelation had not surprised her as much as it perhaps should have. Her daughter had always been different, despite Missy and Dale's great efforts to make her blend in. Addison, it seemed, was destined to stand out, in more ways than one.

The things that they had said about Charles Moon had shaken Missy. Just thinking about him, which she made a point never to do, made her nervously run her hand along the hem of her dress, smoothing out the non-existant wrinkles there. But she wouldn't focus on that right now.

Missy had to focus on the extreme changes that this "alien" revelation would mean for her and her city. She had already had to adapt to having zombies live amongst them as equal citizens. Then, the wolves had come, and her ability to accept change had been challenged yet again.

She had, admittedly, not done so well with either adjustment. At least not initially. But now, two years after zombie integration first began, Mayor Missy was proud to say that she had developed as a leader and as a person. The fact was, times were changing in Seabrook. She could either change along with them, or be left behind in the dust.

And Missy was not about to be left behind.

Still, when Elder Ayla told her and the other council members that she and the other Lunites intended to join the Society of Seabrook, Missy couldn't help but experience a moment of panic. If she accepted this, everything would change. Again. Would life never be normal, the way it used to be? Clean and normal and simple, like it was when zombies were on the other side of the barrier, and when Addison was still wearing her wig.

But then, Missy had met Addison's eyes across the room. Her beautiful, strong daughter. Whom she loved with all of her being, even if she had trouble actually showing it. And because she loved her daughter, she knew that she only had one direction in which she could proceed.

Missy had to accept these aliens. Not only accept them, but do so enthusiastically and whole-heartedly, because to reject them would be to reject her little girl. She had let down her child in the past; she was not going to do so again.

And so, standing in the waiting area of a crowded emergency room, she had embraced the Lunite leader and her people with sincerity in her heart. Perhaps everything would change. But for her daughter, Missy would be open to those changes, no matter what. She would not go back to making her child hide who she really was. No matter what the cost was to Missy's psyche.

From over Elder Ayla's shoulder, she had met her husband's eyes. They had exchanged a short and silent conversation in that moment, and Missy knew that Dale understood. He would support her decision now, as he had supported her for nearly two decades. He really was the perfect partner for her.

As Missy pulled up in front of the Zambie house, she forced her mind back to the present. There would be time to think about the Lunites later. For now, she needed to focus on getting herself and her daughter home, so that they could both have a well deserved rest for a few hours. Addy had cheer practice tonight, and Missy and Dale would be attending an emergency council meeting to discuss the situation with Charles Moon. Whom she was still refusing to think about.

As she parked, she watched as Addison and Eliza, who had been sitting on the porch, stood up together. Eliza had a strange, shocked expression on her face, which confused Missy. The girl was normally always mad about some "injustice" or another, but this expression looked far more emotional than it did angry.

Addison gripped Eliza's arm briefly and quietly whispered something to her before turning and descending the stairs. She smiled brightly at her mom, though Missy could tell that Addison was tense. Though this wasn't exactly unexpected, considering all that had taken place in the early morning hours. She opened the passenger's side door, entering the car happily as she reached up to fasten her seat belt.

"Hey, mom!" Addison said with a smile. "How did everything go this morning?"

"Hi, honey." Missy returned the smile, offering a wave through the window to Eliza, who was still standing on the porch looking shell-shocked as they pulled away in the little car. "Is your friend okay?"

"Oh, Eliza?" Addison replied. "Sure. I think she's just a little overwhelmed at the moment."

"I think the same could be said for all of us." Missy replied with a soft chuckle. "But to answer your question, the meetings and the interview all went great this morning. Ayla and Badru are lovely people. After Shore Day, we're planning on scheduling another big block party to welcome the Lunites to the community."

Addison looked impressed. "That's great, mom. Everyone will love that!"

Missy smiled tiredly, and they drove in silence for a few moments. The trip back to their home was not particularly long, but she drove carefully, acutely aware of how tired she was and not wanting to drive irresponsibly.

"Mom?" Addison said suddenly. Her vocal tone was completely different than it had been a moment before. Rather than cheery and conversational, she now sounded tense and nervous.

Missy felt her hands tighten on the steering wheel, suddenly fearing the course that this conversation was about to take. She had a feeling that she knew exactly what her daughter was about to say. She wasn't ready for this.

"Yes, dear?" Missy replied, hearing the slight strain in her own voice.

"Mom... I know." Addison said in a quiet voice. "About... About how you had me, I mean."

Missy was silent for a moment, then quickly pulled over into the parking lot of a small grocery store. She didn't want to drive and have this conversation at the same time.

"Addison," Missy started, closing her eyes briefly as she fought back a wave of tears that threatened to overwhelm her. "Honey, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm sorry I kept it a secret from you. And I'm sorry about the wig. I have spent your whole life trying to make you something you aren't. But you've always been exactly who you're supposed to be. I've been a selfish, terrible mother."

Missy's voice cracked at the end of the statement. But she wouldn't cry. She wouldn't. She straightened her back in her seat, and leaned forward to wipe off a tiny smudge on the car's dashboard. Keeping things clean and neat and normal, that was the only way Missy knew how to fix things.

"Mom!" Addison gasped, and Missy looked over to see her daughter's pained face. "You have not been a terrible mother! You were taken advantage of by a terrible, evil person, and ended up with a kid. You were thrown into a situation that was never your fault, and you and dad have raised me the best way you knew how. You did what you thought was right for me. Your actions may not have always been right, but I know that your intentions were to take care of me."

Addison reached out and took Missy's hand. Missy gripped her daughter's hand tightly.

"And Mom, I want you to know," Addison continued, "that you and dad are the best parents I could have ever asked for. I'm not mad about the wig, not anymore. I understand why you did it."

Missy took in a deep, shaking breath, trying to gather her emotions. She didn't know how to respond to any of this. She couldn't talk about him, she just couldn't. But didn't she owe her child an explanation?

"I don't," Missy said haltingly. "Regret... What happened with him." She shuddered. "Because I got you out of it, Addy. And I wouldn't trade you for anything."

Addison squeezed her hand again. Missy used her free hand to further smooth out the hem of her dress. Clean and neat and normal. Clean and neat and normal.

"Mom," she said gently. "It's okay. We don't have to talk about it anymore. I just want you to know that I love you and dad very much, and that I wouldn't change a thing."

Missy finally looked Addison in the eyes, seeing the earnestness there. Missy couldn't agree that she wouldn't change a thing about her past decisions. In fact, there were many things about Addison's childhood that she wished she could take back. But somehow, despite how they had tried to raise her, Addison had turned out to be one of the most kind, accepting and forgiving people Missy had ever met. She knew she couldn't take credit for that, but nonetheless, at that moment, Missy was so proud to have her as a daughter.

"I love you too, sweetheart." Missy said, reaching out and stroking her daughter's hair. For the first time, she didn't feel the sense of revulsion that normally came when she looked at Addison's hair. There was only a sense of pride and love. Maybe Missy really was growing as a person.

Then, Missy leaned forward, hugging her daughter tightly as they sat parked in the parking lot of a grocery store. The motion might mean that her dress got a little wrinkly. But for her little girl, she could handle a few wrinkles.


	48. Chapter 48

The den was much noisier than normal, and that was saying something. The wolves were all conversing excitedly, punctuating their sentences with excited yips and barks.

Not only had the Lunite's revelation gone well, but the enemy had been captured, and a large celebration would be taking place at the beach on Friday. Not that that the first two were in any way related to the third, but still.

Willa sighed contentedly, stretching out over one of the large black rocks that sat throughout the den. She was lying on her back, facing upward towards the intricate carvings and paintings across the stone ceiling. In her hand, she was tossing the stone that Wyatt had given her when they were pups up into the air, and then catching it as it fell back to earth.

Something had been on her mind ever since the previous night, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was bothering her.

Everything was great. The Lunites were being, thus far, generally well received throughout Seabrook. Her enemy was behind bars. Of course, she would have preferred it more if she'd been the one to fight him rather than Wyatt. But her brother had defended the pack well, and she was proud of him.

She thought back to the conversations that she had been a part of during their girls night, last night, and about what had happened when Addison had announced her engagement to Zed. While everyone else had been looking at Addison, Willa had been looking at Eliza.

She had worn a beautiful, joyous expression on her face, and was clearly so happy for their friend. But, Willa had seen a slight undertone of sadness there, too. She knew that Eliza, despite what people might assume looking at her, had always secretly wanted a big wedding. As a child, Eliza had even kept a notebook hidden under her mattress, filled with dress designs, flower arrangements, and venue ideas. Not even Zed and Bonzo knew about it, so protective was she of her "tough girl" persona.

Unfortunately, weddings were not something that was done in werewolf culture. In fact, Willa and the others had quickly learned that there were many milestones celebrated by humans and zombies that wolves had never paid much thought to at all.

First, there was the elaborate "wedding" ceremony, which symbolized the joining of two mates. This was generally done after one mate presented the other with an engagement ring, to show their loyalty to one another. The mates would dress up in extremely expensive clothes, with the females usually wearing long, white dresses. Then they would eat a large cake, and have a large party with family and friends.

They had other strange celebrations, as well. Each year, zombies and humans held a smaller ceremony, also with cake, to celebrate their yearly aging cycle. Cake, it seemed, was a very important part of their event planning, no matter what the occasion. After eating cake, each person would give the person celebrating a gift, to honor their day of birth.

Willa knew that Eliza loved the idea of having a wedding, and had even joked to her about wearing white dresses together. But until she'd seen Eliza's face last night as Addison showed them her ring, Willa hadn't truly understood how important it really was to her mate.

Suddenly, a clawed hand reached out above Willa, catching the little stone in midair as she tossed it up and down. Willa leaned her head back, grinning at her brother as he held out the little stone over her head.

"Pebble for your thoughts?" Said Wynter on his other side, already laying out across the rock and lying down besides Willa. "You looked so serious, we thought we should come over and see what's on your mind."

Wyatt nodded, carefully handing Willa back her little stone. The tiny diamond in the middle shimmered as she grasped it.

"So, what's up, Willa?" Asked Wyatt, as he too stretched out across the rock on the opposite side, so that the top of his head touched Willa's and Wynter's. Willa resumed tossing the stone up and down as she considered how to answer them.

"I'm thinking," Willa sighed after a moment, "about proposing to Eliza. Having a wedding."

She felt both wolves stiffen for a brief moment, their shock evident by their sudden lack of movement.

"You mean, that mating ritual that humans and zombies do when they choose a mate?" Asked Wyatt. "She's already your mate, why have a big ceremony to announce what everyone already knows?"

Like most of the other wolves, she, Wyatt and Wynter had never given much thought to weddings. It was a weird tradition, to be sure, but not something that the wolves had any interest in. In their culture, there was no ceremony to celebrate choosing a mate. One was not needed; it was simply accepted. Housing arrangements would change, but other than that, it was always business as usual in the wolf den.

"I know, I know." Willa said, once again catching the rock and throwing it towards the ceiling. "But... It would mean so much to Eliza. You guys should have seen her last night, when Addison told everyone Zed proposed to her."

"Zed proposed to Addison?" Wyatt interjected, sounding utterly surprised.

Wynter smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "You guys were literally together half of the night last night. What do guys even talk about?"

Willa and Wynter both laughed as Wyatt rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, though," said Wynter. "If it's that important to Eliza, why not do it? I mean, I know wolves have never had a wedding before. But then, a wolf has never been mated with a zombie, either. Our generation is all about breaking traditions, I think."

Willa considered this as Wyatt raised a shoulder, acknowledging the point his pack mate had made.

"That's true," Wyatt added. "And I suppose a werewolf/zombie wedding could be pretty cool. Plus, you already have a diamond to give her."

"What are you talking about?" Willa asked.

"The one you're currently tossing in the air like a toy, pack leader." Wyatt chuckled. "Wade could take that stone and carve it into something gorgeous overnight, if you wanted."

Willa froze, catching the stone in one hand and staring at it. The smooth, black stone was shiny from years of being held, and the clear white stone in the center sparkled like a little star.

She loved this stone.

It had been a gift from her brother. But Willa had to admit, her brother's idea was a great one. Wade, one of the older pack members, was a gifted carver and stone worker, and could make some of the most amazing jewelry anyone had ever seen. He could easily take the stone and make it into a beautiful, one-of-a-kind ring for Eliza. And Willa knew immediately that Eliza would love both the uniqueness of it, and the sentimentality behind it.

"But..." Willa said, rubbing the stone in her hand. "It was a gift from you, Wyatt. Would it bother you if I gave it to someone else?"

"Honestly, Willa." Wyatt said, and she could her the smile in his voice without looking at him. "I can't think of anything I'd like more. It's basically a family heirloom, and this would be a great way to pass it on to future generations."

Willa smiled too, but the smile almost immediately fell. "The only problem is, I have no idea hoe to propose to someone. Isn't it kind of a big deal for humans and zombies?"

"You're asking the wrong wolf." Wynter said, and she could feel Wyatt shaking his head to indicate his own lack of knowledge. "But lucky for us, we have plenty of human and zombie friends who can tell us what to do!"

"Good point." Willa replied. As alpha, she was still getting used to the concept of asking for help, and not trying to do everything on her own. She had spent most of her life being the one others depended on, and it was hard to relinquish that concept. Eliza, however, was a big help in that arena.

"Plus,"Wynter continued. "You have some awesome pack mates who would also love to help you plan this out. It sounds fun!"

"Well, in that case," Willa said as she rose to a sitting position, "I think I'll go talk to Wade about making the ring. Then, we have a proposal to plan!"

Wyatt yawned. "Let me know if you two need any help. I'm gonna take a nap."

Wynter sat up, clapping and bouncing up and down happily. "This is gonna be great! I have been looking for a reason to use that planner that I found in the lost and found bin in the cheerleader's office."

"Wynter, for the last time," Wyatt groaned. "The Acey's lockers are _not _the lost an found bin."

Wynter shrugged. "Well, I found it, and they lost it. Sounds like a lost and found bin to me."

Willa rolled her eyes, but she was grinning happily. "You're both impossible." She chuckled as she slid off of the large stone and headed off to find Wade.

She loved her pack mates.

ZzZzZzZ

Addison blew the whistle, calling the team to relax from their positions as they completed the routine. They had been working out any existing weaknesses or kinks for the past hour, though admittedly, there weren't many of those to worry about in the first place. The cheer squad was a well-oiled machine, and her cheerleaders all knew what they needed to do.

In fact, the only person who had been off for the entire practice was Bucky, who was radiating a kind of happy, distracted confusion. Addison watched as he stared off into space, megaphone forgotten at his side. Normally, he would be yelling out instructions, even though it was the end of practice. She couldn't imagine what was going on in his head. But she was determined to find out.

"Okay everyone!" Addison announced into her own megaphone, causing Bucky to jump and nearly drop his own as she approached him. "That's it for practice. You guys were great; we are going to_ rock _this performance at Shore Day!"

The squad erupted into energetic cheers, waving their poms in the air or clapping. Addison watched, with a slight pain in her chest, as Bonzo and Bree hugged each other and jumped up and down with excitement. He gave her a sweet, delicate kiss on the top of her head.

Her friends were such a beautiful couple.

Did they have any notion how tragically linked their pasts actually were? Addison had no idea. Bree had only ever mentioned Bailey a few times. She didn't like to talk about it, and it wasn't hard to understand why. Addison wouldn't have wanted to talk about such a thing, either. But Addison had no way of knowing whether or not Bree was aware that it was her boyfriend's father who was responsible for ending her sister's life.

Surely, if she did know, Bree would have told her. As it was, Addison didn't know whether it was better to talk to her best friend about it, or to leave it well enough alone. For the moment, at least, it seemed like a good idea to keep this knowledge to herself. The last thing Addison wanted to do was cause Bree additional pain, since she had experienced enough the evening before.

Bree's house was in ruins, and her parents were on their way back from their trip. In the meantime, Bree had spent the rest of the night and all day at Addison's house, thought Addison hadn't really been there except to shower and sleep. Looking at her beautiful friend now, one would never know that the night before, she had watched her childhood home burn to the ground.

Bree really was one of the strongest people amongst them.

Addison watched as Bree bounded over to her, grinning broadly.

"Hey, captain!" Bree said with a giggle. "I'm going to go with Bonzo over to Eliza's house for a bit. They're celebrating, since it's the last night before everyone moves back home. Want to come along with us?"

Addison was always up for seeing Zed, but a glance back at her cousin reminded her that she had something else to do, first.

"Go on without me," Addison replied. "I've gotta talk with Bucky for a minute. But I'll meet you over there soon, okay?"

"Great!" Bree said. "See you there."

Bree skipped back to Bonzo's side, and he beamed at her as she approached.

With another smile, Addison turned her attention back to Bucky, who was now sitting on the bleachers and fiddling with the "on/off" switch to his megaphone.

She approached him, once again feeling the combination of happiness and confusion coming off of her cousin in waves.

"Hey, Bucky." Addison said in a casual tone, but Bucky didn't seem to hear her. He just continued to stare forward, absent-mindedly clicking his megaphone off and on again.

"Um, hello?" Addison said, reaching out and poking his shoulder gently. He jumped, and once again nearly lost his grip on the megaphone.

"Earth to Bucky!" Addison said with a slightly exasperated laugh. "You've been on another planet this entire practice, cuz. What's up with you?"

"What?" Bucky said, switching his megaphone off for the hundredth time. "Nothing. Nothing is up with me."

"I don't believe you." Addison said simply, moving to sit next to him on the cool metal seats. She sat her own megaphone on the floor, and then grabbed his and sat it next to hers. "Seriously, you're basically my big brother. I can tell when something is off with you. So spill it."

Addison then crossed her arms, and looked over to him expectantly. Around them, the gymnasium was gradually emptying as their fellow cheerleaders departed the evening practice to head home.

Bucky stared at her with a stern expression, and for a minute, Addison thought that he was going to argue with her. But then, he sighed.

"I think there's something wrong with me." Bucky said, lowering his voice so that any remaining people around them wouldn't hear him.

"What is it?" Addison asked, genuinely concerned. Bucky was not the type of person to ever admit that he was functioning at less than one hundred percent efficiency. She had once seen him win a regional cheer championship while running a fever of one hundred and two degrees, Fahrenheit. So to hear him confess that he thought something was wrong now was slightly disconcerting.

"I just… I can't think straight these past few days." He said, putting his head briefly in his hands and running his fingers through his dark, curly hair. "And it gets even worse when I'm around a certain person. It's like, my brain can't focus on anything else. All I can think about is spending more time with them."

Addison turned her head to the side. That didn't sound like he was sick. That sounded like…

"Bucky?" Addison asked, keeping her voice down with no small amount of effort. She was trying with all of her might to stifle a smile."Do you… have a crush on someone!?"

Bucky leveled her with an attempt at a malicious glare, but it was a sad excuse for his normal sneer.

"Bucky Buchanan," he stated as he raised his head high, "does not get 'crushes'."

Addison was not stymied by this reaction. She had known Bucky for her entire life, and she knew by the tone of his voice that even he didn't believe what he was saying.

"Oh, I think there's a first time for everything." Addison stated with confidence. She elbowed him gently, and he looked over to her again. "Come on Bucky, you can tell me."

Meeting her eyes briefly, he looked away and lowered his head into his hands once again, mumbling something she couldn't understand.

"What?" Addison said, brows dipping down. "I can't hear what you're saying."

"Qamar, okay?" Bucky burst out, causing Zita and another nearby zombie to jump as they strode out of the large room. He winced, and lowered his voice. "I like Qamar."

Addison was momentarily stunned into silence. She had, of course, heard him flirting with Qamar that day in the gym a few days ago. But that was when he was, thanks to her, far more uninhibited than usual.

She had also heard, in passing, Mayar and Aruna joking about the two men during their disastrous sleepover, and what a good couple they would make. Addison hadn't taken it seriously at the time. But now, looking at Bucky as he hung his head in his hands, it all suddenly clicked into place for her.

"Oh my gosh, Bucky!" She said, feeling the broad smile making its way across her own face. "That's so great!"

"How," he asked with a groan, "is that great?"

"Because!" Addison said, nearly jumping up and down in excitement for her cousin. "One, Qamar is, like, totally cute, and a really good guy. And two, I'm almost totally certain that he likes you back."

"What would make you think that?" He asked, but he turned his face sideways so that he was looking directly at her again. The gym was empty now, except for them.

"Because, Bucky. I can feel people's emotions, remember? I've always noticed that he gets really anxious whenever he's around you. And not in a bad, uncomfortable way. In, like, a good and happy way. I just… never really gave much thought to it until now."

Bucky was still watching her, and now lifted his head slightly.

"Do you really think so?" He finally asked. Their voices now echoed slightly off of the walls in the large, empty space. Everyone else seemed to have left the building.

"I really do." Addison replied.

She felt some sympathy for her clearly love-struck cousin. She had never known Bucky to be even remotely interested in anyone before this. Which was probably partially why she hadn't noticed it until now. It was nice to see this side of him, even if he didn't seem to be enjoying the vulnerability.

"Trust me, Bucky." Addison said. "He's great, you're great. This could be awesome for you."

"Or it could be a disaster." He grumbled, and she nudged him again.

"Oh, cut it out, drama king." Addison laughed. "Jeez, I swear, it's like I'm related to a soap opera character, sometimes."

This actually got a chuckle out of him, to her relief, and their laughter reverberated across the gymnasium. After a moment, she smiled at him, again.

"Seriously, though," Addison continued. "Just… take things slow and see what happens. You deserve to be happy, Bucky."

To her surprise, Bucky reached out and pulled her into a quick, one-armed hug.

"Thanks, Baby Cuz." He replied with a genuine grin. "You're the best."

"Nah, Bucky," Addison replied, " You're the best."

She stood up, grabbing her duffel bag and water bottle.

"I'm going over to Eliza's house for a little while. Wanna come along?" Addison said, turning and taking a tentative step towards the door.

"Thanks," Bucky said. "But I'm beat. I'm going home and getting in bed. Gotta be fresh for tomorrow, only one practice left until Shore Day!"

She rolled her eyes. As annoying as it was that he'd scheduled the performance on Shore Day in the first place, Addison had to admit that she was looking forward to it. It combined one of her favorite activities with one of her favorite holidays, after all.

"Okay then. See you tomorrow for practice!" She smiled, and offered Bucky a little wave before striding out the door. Hopefully she could still catch up with Bree and Bonzo.


	49. Chapter 49

Author's Note: My apologies for the lack of updates these last few weeks! This month has been insanely busy.

In this chapter, we get a look at Zed's family's refurbished home, and Bonzo has an unfortunate conversation with Eliza. Spoken Zombie Tongue with be written in italics in order to avoid confusion.

You are all wonderful!

ZzZzZzZ

By the time Addison, Bree and Bonzo arrived at the Zambie household, the 'small celebration' had basically turned into a miniature block party. Multiple families on the street had cooked dishes and snacks, setting them out on their stoops for friends and family to grab as desired. The zombie light gardens were all lit in the various front yards, bathing the street in glowing, multicolored beams.

The new houses, which were all on the far end of the street, now had shiny new roofs, complete with solar panels to assist in using as much clean energy as possible. The new structures had also been re-bricked, giving them a sleek but retro look. The main difference of the exterior of the homes was that the porches on each house had been enlarged. Now, they each had enough space for several zombies to sit outside comfortably. The yards had also been decorated with new light gardens in front of each home, glowing brightly with the promises of new beginnings.

Zed had spent the entire afternoon napping on Eliza's couch, and he now felt practically back to normal. Of course, he still hadn't regained any memory from the night before, and he had no idea if he ever would. The thought was frustrating. But, there was nothing to be done for it, and so he tried to put it out of his mind. For the time being, at least.

"Hey!" said a familiar voice behind him, making him grin.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting on the couch, Zed?" Addison asked.

He turned, looking down to her face and smiling. She was still in her cheer uniform, and as always, was absolutely breathtaking. She smiled back at him, in spite of the stern expression she was trying to wear.

"I'll get back on the couch in a minute." Zed said, reaching out to take her hand. "But first, I want to show you something."

He winked flirtatiously, making her giggle as he pulled her down from the stoop and through Eliza's front lawn.

"Okay, but where are you taking me?" Addison asked.

"Let's go check out the new house!" Zed whispered excitedly. He had only seen the outside of his refurbished home since its completion this afternoon. However, he had snuck the new key from his dad's coverall pocket, so that he and Addison could take a peek. Addison had not seen inside the house since they had stripped out the damaged walls and wood. So her last memories of the interior of the home would be an empty, broken up mess of wood and brick.

"Okay!" She squeaked with enthusiasm, bouncing up and down a little with her anticipation.

In truth, Zed still felt a deep sense of grief for the loss of his "old" home. It was comfy and eclectic, and full of memories of his mom. No amount of new house could replace what had been lost. But still, it was always exciting when something new happened, and he was determined to look on the bright side and enjoy the refurbished house.

Together, they slipped quietly through the crowds of zombies, people, wolves, and even a few Lunites as they made their way to his front yard. The bike wheels that had adorned the front gate and fence had been festively re-painted in a rainbow of different colors. Lights from the light garden reflected beautifully across the exterior of the home. The old mailbox, which had been made of a large plastic jug with a hole cut into it, was now replaced with a large, vintage metal mailbox. It was a bright, cheerful yellow, with the name "Necrodopolis" neatly written in maroon lettering along the side of it.

The porch now took up the entire width of the home, and had a large overhang to prevent rain from falling on anyone who might want to sit outside in inclement weather. A maroon swing and two old grey metal chairs were situated along the porch. They were nestled in between two large fern plants on sideways milk crates, which had been converted into plant stands.

"Oh my gosh, Zed, it looks amazing!" Addison breathed.

"Wait until you see the inside." he replied with a grin. Walking up the steps, Zed briskly opened the door, waving her in as he quickly and quietly shut the door behind them. He didn't want anyone to see them sneaking in, since they weren't technically supposed to be in the house until tomorrow. Reaching to his left, he flipped on the light switch, and they both gasped.

It was like whoever designed and decorated this house had somehow taken both zombie decor and human decor, and combined it into one new, amazing look.

The walls were a very light mint green color, with large sections of exposed red brick visible throughout the space. Their old Formica table and its mismatched chairs were visible from the hallway, and the sight brought a smile to Zed's face. He was glad the table and chairs had been salvageable.

The living room was adorned with vintage artwork, as well as a few photos and drawings of Zoey's that had survived the fire. The family photo that Zed had grabbed the night of the fires now hung proudly above a sleek, electric fireplace. The stainless steel hearth was surrounded by more brickwork, and an old wooden beam served as the mantle above it.

A slate gray couch with a modern design somehow blended perfectly with the two vintage orange wingback chairs next to it. Both were separated from one another by a large, dark wooden coffee table, which looked like it was made from an old door. The entire first story of the home now displayed the original hardwood floors, no longer hidden by shaggy old carpeting. They were stained a deep mahogany color.

"This looks amazing, Zed." Addison breathed.

"It really does." He replied, eyes still wandering the room in awe. He swallowed back the wave of emotion that briefly overtook him. It was touching, how much the community had come together to help his family, and the other zombies, in their time of need. The beauty of his new home was a testament to how greatly Seabrook had really changed in the past few years.

"Come on,"Zed said, gently pulling at her hand, again. "Let's go see my room!"

Together, they bounded softly up the freshly carpeted steps, switching on the new hall light once they reached the second floor. Zed's room was the first door, and he reached out, eagerly grabbing the doorknob and twisting it.

The inside of the room, much like the rest of the house, smelled of fresh paint and clean linens. Switching on the light, Zed let out a short laugh of amazement.

"Oh, wow." He breathed.

The room, painted a light pewter grey, was festively adorned with antique and vintage Seabrook sports memorabilia. He had been saddened to learn that much of his collection had been destroyed, after the fire. But now, it was like he had an entirely new collection on display around the room. There were two old Seabrook banners arranged across the walls. His bed had a simple but retro-looking iron frame, and above the bed on a shelf were a vintage football helmet and an old pair of cleats. There were also several framed photos hanging about the room, of Zed's family and friends. The wood floors were the same deep mahogany color as the ones downstairs, and a large, circular pink and green rug covered a large section of the space. A few other pieces of antique athletic equipment were tastefully placed about the room.

"This is amazing!" He said as they entered the room, taking in the new appearance. "How in the world did they get this stuff? And the pictures!"

He turned to look down at Addison, only to see that her eyes were alight with mischief.

"Actually," she replied. "Most of the sports stuff is from my parents. Old family heirlooms, that my dad and grandparents had stored in their attics."

Zed gaped at her. He couldn't formulate the right words to convey his combined gratitude and shock. He knew that her parents had, more or less, accepted him, even if he was a zombie. But Addison's surviving grandparents were another matter altogether. Her maternal grandfather was deceased, but her mom's mom and both of her dad's parents were still living. And so great was their dislike of him that they had never actually met him, despite the fact that Addison had now been dating him for years.

Addison seemed to understand his aghast expression, and laughed. "Okay, so my grandparents technically donated everything to the Zombietown Fire Fundraiser, and not to you specifically. But still, even that is a big improvement from how they have been."

"I'll say," Zed replied. "This is so perfect, Addy!"

"It really is." She nodded.

They stood for a moment in the silence of the clean, freshly painted room, taking in the many updates and improvements.

Zed was about to suggest that they head back to Eliza's before someone went looking for them, when he heard the sudden pounding of boots quickly ascending the stairs. Addison heard it as well, and they both turned in surprise to face the door.

Eliza burst into the room without knocking, covering her eyes with one hand to block her own vision.

"Whatever you're doing," Eliza grumbled loudly, "Just cut it out, you two!"

"Eliza," Addison laughed, "We aren't doing anything."

Zed arched an eyebrow and grinned towards his best friend, who hesitantly peeked between her fingers to ensure that she wouldn't see anything she didn't want to see. After a short second, she lowered her hand, sighing in brief relief. Then, worry overcame her features.

"You guys need to get back to my house." Eliza stated. A look of guilt crossed her face then, and she looked at Addison. "Addy, I did something stupid."

ZzZzZzZ

Bonzo smiled as he sat on the stoop of Eliza's house, watching his girlfriend teaching several zombie some basic cheer leading moves. As she demonstrated the High-V jump, her eyes met his, and they sparkled with joy and amusement. They smiled at one another, silently communicating their love for one another before she turned her attention back to the many kids now surrounding her.

His girlfriend really was the most amazing person he had ever met. Looking at her now, laughing and playing with the neighborhood kids, one would never know that her home had just burned to the ground. She looked perfectly content, when most people their age would have been falling to pieces. He certainly had, the first day or so after the Zombietown fires. But not his Bree. She was definitely the toughest of the two of them, and he would be the first to admit it.

Next to him, there was a shuffling sound as Eliza plopped down next to him. Her feet dangled next to his off of the side of the stoop. Bonzo turned to grin down at her, but was surprised to see a rather morose expression on his best friend's face. She was frowning out towards the street, her unhappy eyes resting on Bree and the group of zombie children who were now practicing cartwheels on the pavement.

"_Elizika?_" He asked, hearing the slight concern in his own voice. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his friend look so down. "_What's wrong_?"

Eliza looked up to meet his eyes, shooting him a pained expression before lowering her gaze quickly away. "_Nothing's wrong, Bonzo_." She replied far too hastily in their native language.

Bonzo's brows dipped inward as he stared her down.

"_Nice try, Lizka_." Bonzo said with a slight roll of his eyes. Eliza could be so annoyingly difficult to talk to, sometimes. Still, he loved her, and was he was now determined to get to the bottom of her somber facial expression.

"_I know you well enough to know when you're lying._" He continued stubbornly. "_So you might as well tell me_."

At this, Eliza's eyes met his briefly. She looked downright agonized.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." She admitted, this time in English.

"Why?" He asked. "_Come on, Eliza. It's not good to keep your problems all bottled up. It's always better to get it out in the open._"

She grimaced at this, but didn't reply right away. She seemed to be pondering his words, nervously fidgeting with a chain that dangled from the bottom of her sweatshirt. A cool breeze blew past them, rustling the tassels and beads on several of the lampshades that decorated the front of the house. Bonzo shivered involuntarily.

"I'm worried it will upset you." She finally said, gathering her arms tighter around herself to ward off the sudden chill in the air. Zombies may not have been as sensitive to temperature changes as other beings, but they still felt it when it happened.

"What is it?" He said, feeling a slight frown cross his face as he met her eyes. He hated that something was bothering his friend so much, and wanted her to talk it out. It would make her feel better.

"_I... heard something about Zen, today._" Eliza said, trying for nonchalance but failing miserably.

Bonzo froze.

He hadn't heard anyone say his father's name aloud in years. And aside from the occasional nightmare or flashback, he really hadn't thought about the man in years, either. There was no point. The monster was dead and gone, and had hurt the last person he would ever hurt ten years ago. Bonzo felt his hand clench into an involuntary fist. That his father's last act had been to murder a human child was despicable. Hatred wasn't a feeling Bonzo really ever felt. But if he harbored any amount of hatred in his heart, it was definitely directed towards Zen.

He looked over, trying to mask the pained expression on his face as he looked at Eliza, who seemed to be refusing to make eye contact with him.

"...Okay." He finally replied in English. He wasn't sure what to say to this.

What had she heard about him? Probably nothing good. There was never anything good to say, when it came to the subject of his dad. Bonzo was beginning to get the feeling that he was not going to like this conversation one little bit.

Eliza took a breath and continued. "_Actually, I found out something about the human that he.. you know... killed._"

Bonzo winced, and the words felt like a physical punch to his gut.

He had purposely never read or sought out any details about the Zen Incident. Not even after integration had happened, and he had access to more information. He knew that Zen had murdered a child, and that Z-Patrol had shot him dead for it when he was caught. Bonzo had no desire to know any more details than that. And if he'd had the choice, he'd rather not have known those bits of information, either. He hated what had happened, and was also sure that had the circumstances been only slightly different, he very well could have ended up being the dead child in this story instead of that poor human.

"_Elizika..._" He started, unsure what to say. Bonzo was certain that he did not want to hear whatever his best friend was about it say.

"_I found out her name._" She continued, and finally looked up to meet his eyes.

He flinched again. He had never known it was a little girl.

Even though he didn't want to know, he asked anyway.

"_What was her name?_" He whispered, barely audible over the voices and music around them.

"...Bailey Brighten." Eliza said, eyes wide and sad.

Bonzo cocked his head to one side, the information not immediately clicking into place.

"Brighten?" He asked, momentarily confused. "But that's Bree's—"

He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly recalling a long-ago conversation with his girlfriend. It was after Prawn, when they had ended up wandering to the playground at the nearby elementary school. They had sat together on a set of swings, talking for hours and sharing some of their deepest secrets and fears. It was that night that Bree had told him that she had once had a little sister, named Bailey.

"_Where is Bailey, now_?" He had asked her, though he had already known, from the tone of her voice, where her sister was.

"She's gone," Bree had replied, simply. "She's been gone for ten years, now."

He had nodded, understanding that she did not want to elaborate. He, too, had relatives who were gone.

At the time, he hadn't made the connection that both his father and Bree's sister had died around the same time. Why would he? What were the odds that the two events were connected?

Now, he stared back at Eliza, feeling his hands begin to tremble.

_What were the odds?_

He glanced back to the street, where Bree was still playing with the zombie kids and showing them different cheer moves. His beautiful beam of sunshine had dealt with more pain than he'd ever known.

"_You're saying_," He gasped with some difficulty. "_That my dad killed Bree's little sister._"

"I'm so, so sorry Bonzo." Eliza replied, looking absolutely stricken. "I didn't want to tell you, but I didn't want to lie to you, either."

He shook his head, feeling a tear slide down his cheekbone. The tear moved along a small scar, from the time Zen had thrown him into a doorway for not moving out of his way fast enough. Would Zen never stop hurting him? Even dead, he was still managing to destroy Bonzo's life.

"I... glad you did." Bonzo replied in rough, broken English, though he wasn't sure he'd ever feel glad about anything again. Because he knew what he needed to do, and it was going to burn worse than any fire.

"Thanks for telling me." He mumbled, standing abruptly. She looked up at him, alarmed by his sudden movement.

"Bonzo—" Eliza started, but he was already walking away from her, making long, rapid strides to where Bree stood laughing in the road. Looking at her was almost physically painful.

"Hey, handsome!" Bree giggled as he approached, but her face quickly morphed from happiness to worry. "What's wrong, Bonzo?"

Her lovely eyes were suddenly wide with concern as she reached out to take his hands. He immediately pulled his own hands away, and met her eyes for the briefest moment before he spoke.

"I'm breaking up with you." Bonzo said, the words cutting him up like shards of glass as they left his mouth.

Before he could register the hurt and shock on Bree's beautiful face, Bonzo then turned, and fled into the night.


End file.
